Amnesia: Memoirs
by SSSoto
Summary: "He wasn't particularly afraid of the dark, but he had always disliked going into the basement. As he stepped into the dark, he thought, 'I will never escape this'." Before becoming an affluent archaeologist in Victorian London, Daniel was of a whole other class. Discover his youth and learn how he became afraid of the dark; the truth behind all of Daniel's lost memories.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **So here it is - my very first story on here! I'm so excited :D

All right, so this is a bigger project, I've started. I love the main character of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and I think that his past seems very interesting from what we are told in various loading screens and flashbacks, so I thought, why not write a story about his childhood? This is going to be a full-length story of about 30 chapters or so. I really hope you will all enjoy it!

**DISCLAIMER:** Amnesia: The Dark Descent and all its characters belong to Frictional Games. OCs and plot belong to me.

**WARNING:** Rating will change. Might later include abuse and sexual content.

* * *

**1821**

"_Mum, will you please tell me a tale?"_

_Winter was just around the corner. The fire in the stove crackled and warmth filled the whole of the fragile, small house. Outside the wind was howling, as it so often did on stormy autumn evenings like these._

_Emily chuckled without turning away from her work and said, "Which one do you want to hear, darling?"_

"_The one about Hazel!"_

_She shook her head with a small grin. "Ah, the morning star."_

_Her four year old son, Daniel, had quickly chosen "The Golden Morning Star" as his preferred fairytale, which did not surprise the mother as she herself favoured it._

_She paused while she pondered how to start. "Once upon a time there was a barren and desolate land. Nothing existed but darkness, ashes and cold, and the people were miserable. The stars saw the land and knew that they alone would not be able to light it up, and so they collected all their stardust over one hundred years, and a girl was born from it. The girl grew in just one day and turned into a woman."_

_Daniel worked eagerly on the pair of gloves Emily had let him sew, knowing he so badly wanted to help out with something._

_Emily smiled and continued her own work with the skirt, she was currently sewing, "A star came to the woman and named her Hazel. It gave her a candle and told Hazel to travel to the core of the world to light it up. Hazel accepted and started her journey. She followed the star to the entrance of the Underworld, for the star had said that only through there, you could get to the core."_

"_Was she not scared?" Daniel asked. Those big, green eyes gawked at her. His face was still chubby and his hair almost reached his shoulders._

_His mother simply continued stitching the rim of the skirt. "She probably was, but under such circumstances one have to be brave, and Hazel was a strong gal."_

_Daniel nodded silently._

"_Hazel arrived at the entrance. The guardian by the gate was merely a skeleton in an armour. The bony guard told her that to gain entrance to the Underworld, she must answer a riddle. Hazel accepted the challenge, and the guardian said, __**You cannot see me, hear me or touch me. I lie behind the stars and alter what is real, I am what you really fear. Close your eyes and I come near. What am I?**__"_

"_May I answer, may I answer?" an excited Daniel put in, and Emily laughed wholeheartedly._

"_Of course, Dan."_

_Daniel bit his lip and made a dramatic gesture with his hands, "The answer is … __**the dark!**__"_

_Emily nodded. "That is right. Hazel figured this out with help from the star."_

"_Because the darkness hid behind it!" Daniel added._

"_Exactly. The guardian bowed down to Hazel and let her pass through the gate. Hazel and the star walked and walked some more, until they finally reached an abyss. There were dead bodies of lost souls all over, some completely rotten and others brand new. Over the cleft of nothingness hung a crumbling bridge, and just one step made it fall apart and tumble down the abyss."_

"_Oh, how scary!" Daniel said as he halted in his work._

"_Yes, very. Hazel was indeed a very brave girl. And also very clever. She weaved a rope out of the hair of the dead. It was strong enough to carry Hazel, and she was able to climb over." _

"_Wow," Daniel mumbled._

"_Hazel and the star finally reached the core, but a terrifying, bloodthirsty dragon rested by the gate. The star told Hazel that she could not touch any of the golden treasures the dragon protected, or it would wake up and devour her."_

_Daniel moved restlessly in his chair, completely engulfed in the story._

"_Hazel sneaked past the sleeping dragon, but when she neared the gate she could not resist all those gorgeous diamonds and jewels, and she touched them…"_

"_No!" Daniel exclaimed, and Emily tried her best not to laugh._

"_The dragon woke from its sleep and began chasing Hazel with a feverish blood thirst – but the star came to her rescue, and at the expense of Hazel's mistake, it burned out by the cold breath of the dragon."_

"_Oh, Hazel! That poor little star!" The death of the star touched the small boy every time._

_Emily caressed her son's cheek and said, "Don't be sad, Daniel. Hazel avenges the star eventually, remember?"_

_Daniel nodded courageously and let her continue._

"_Hazel escaped just in time, and the gate closed behind her. She found herself in a completely dark room with only one light up ahead. Hazel got closer and saw that the light came from a candle with a silver flame. She reached out for it, and suddenly the flame grew large in an attempt to absorb her."_

_The boy held his breath._

"_Hazel got caught up in the flame, but as she was born of stardust, she did not burn – instead the flame turned gold and expanded. It filled the core, and Hazel dashed to the sky. She kept burning her golden light and became the brightest star in the heavens, the star we know as the sun and light, and the land became fertile," Emily finished her story._

_Daniel gave out a relieved sigh and chattered, "And that was how the morning star came to be! Our sun!"_

"_Exactly, my angel!" Emily said lovingly._

_An ordinary autumn evening filled with fairy tales, fire in the stove and stitchery, all while mother and son waited for father to return home._

* * *

**1823**

He was still in shock. He remembered so vividly how his mother had kicked, screamed, _battled_ only a few hours earlier.

He saw her body surrender and her hands become weak. He saw the extended, agitated arms struggle against some invisible force in an attempt to defy it – but she lost, and so her arms fell lifelessly to the couch.

At least he had not seen her face. He did not see the pain in her eyes as the life slipped out of her.

But six year old Daniel did not think about all of that. He did not understand it. The only thing, he knew, was the pain and confusion. His mother had brutally been taken from him, and he had nothing to hold onto.

Only Hazel.

The little boy was sitting on the shabby armchair next to the couch. He stared monotonously at nothing. The newborn baby lay on the couch. She did not cry any more; she was sound asleep.

She had opened her eyes only few minutes after the birth. Her eyes were a greyish blue colour, not green like Daniel's. Father had simply handed her over to Daniel and focused on Emily afterwards. Daniel was ordered to provide the baby a towel and hot water.

Daniel sat on his knees next to the infant and monitored her sleeping form. The memory of his mother's tales by the fire on cold winter nights once again brought tears to his eyes, but he stubbornly wiped them away.

The girl took in calm breaths without trouble. She seemed so tiny and fragile.

He moved once again to sit up on the couch right beside the baby, still merely observing the small being. She resembled a doll. He did not dare touch her, for what if he broke her? Surely mum would be disappointed.

The door opened, and a tall, tired man with locks just as chocolate as his son's stepped inside. He trudged into the living room with slouched shoulders and carelessly threw his jacket and boots by the coat stand.

Dark circles haunted Father's eyes; he looked so sad. Daniel could not help but wonder if his dad would start crying. Probably not, for men did not weep; that, Father himself had taught him.

John Wilkinson did not even grant his son a glance as he dragged himself to the humble kitchen by the living room. Burying his deceased wife seemed to have taken its toll.

"Father?"

John grunted. Daniel hesitated a moment before he continued, "Can… Can I call her Hazel?"

His father rummaged the cupboards while mumbling, "What… Where are they …? Bloody hell…"

He tried once again, "Dad …?"

"Name the baby whatever you want."

The man stood up and shut the cupboard with a beer in his hand. "But do not trust she will make it. I am going to sign her up for the funeral clubs next week. I will not bother to have her baptised till she is at least two years of age."

The boy held his breath and nodded.

John walked over to the ramshackle staircase and moved to ascend upstairs to the master bedroom. It used to be mum and dad living up there; only John resided there now.

Daniel bit his lip, then spoke hastily before he would regret, "So you will certainly cancel her membership when she turns two, right?"

John again mumbled something indistinct, but it sounded like a confirmation.

Daniel crossed his fingers, fully determined to keep his baby sister alive. John merely walked upstairs and drowned himself in his loneliness and sorrow – and the first bottle of many.


	2. Alone in the Dark

**1826**

The sun hung high in the sky, which meant that the day was still long. Daniel did his best to distract himself, but unfortunately it was hard to follow along the lesson like that.

The boy gathered himself and moved his gaze to the blackboard. Mr. Harrison noted various facts beside the messy sketch of what was supposed to be a systematic model of the Catholic Church. The class did not utter one word, for no one wanted a stroke with the cane.

"The protestants did not want the people to only have access to God through the church. Why did the church disagree? Come on, lads, we've been through this three times just this week!" Mr. Harrison let out an exhausted sigh, placing his hands on his hips.

Daniel knew the answer. He read about the reformation and Luther's revolution a long time ago out of own interest. For an eight year old, the boy definitely had some brains, and his own enthusiasm concerning history did help quite a lot.

But he didn't raise his hand. Instead, he slowly sank down in his seat, praying not to be noticed. Unfortunately, the lecturer also knew well about Daniel's skills. "Mr. Wilkinson, surely you know the answer? Speak up, son."

Daniel felt everyone's eyes on him. He was always the unlucky one. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he managed to stutter, "Oh… Eh, I-I actually don't know, Mr. Harrison…"

"Nonsense! Don't be shy!" Mr. Harrison urged on. There was no escape.

Daniel mentally prepared himself for the day's carnage and cleared his throat, "Um… Because they wanted people to communicate with God through the church."

"And why exactly did they want that?"

"… Because that way they could keep making money off their faith, sir."

"Correct! Good job, Daniel."

A soft cough made Daniel turn to the seat a few rows behind him. Henry Bedloe sent the boy a glare that could make even the most vicious dog retreat with its tail far low between its legs.

Daniel turned around again. His hands were shaking.

* * *

Daniel dragged himself home, his legs barely even able to carry him. It had been a rough day at school and work, and he had not eaten since breakfast, so all the boy wanted was to sit down at home and devour a good evening's meal.

He fumbled with the key, pushed the door open and trudged in. John immediately came running down the stairs with the toolbox in hand. "Don't take off your shoes, Daniel, we're going to the studio" he said as he put on his coat.

Daniel hesitated for a moment, but his growling stomach made him ask, "… What about dinner?"

"No dinner today."

John snatched a beer from his personal stock in the cupboard and went past his son out the door. Daniel shot the kitchen a last longing glance before following his father.

* * *

"Has Hazel been fed?"

"Yes, I told you, now shut your mouth and get to work."

Father was moody again, and Daniel knew it would serve him best to just avoid making him angry. It certainly did not help the case that the man had emptied seven whole bottles in less than three hours.

John only faltered slightly from the alcohol, still able to make those incredibly straight strokes on the vase. Daniel was always captivated, absolutely fascinated by any of his father's masterpieces. The man took such pride in them, performing every bit of work with delicacy.

Daniel tried to concentrate on his work, but his thoughts kept drifting to his darling baby sister. He had not seen her all day and he was worried that she might have been neglected, knowing that his father did not care much for her.

"Daniel, go grab the red tint in the basement."

The boy looked up from the chair leg, he was grinding. An alarm was wailing in the back of his mind. "D-do I really have to?"

John's drunken glare was answer enough.

Working with his dad in the studio was not exactly Daniel's favourite pastime, but if anything, he especially did not appreciate the cellar. He wasn't particularly afraid of the dark, but he had always disliked going into the basement.

Daniel put his work aside and moved towards the door. He paused, staring into the void. Shadows crept along the corners, waiting for him.

"Get going, boy!"

He jumped at the shout. His father urged him on to fetch the red dye. He turned his gaze to the stairs again, swallowing hard. As he stepped into the dark, he thought, _I will never escape this._

The basement had always been unusually dark. Even if Daniel brought a lantern, the light would not be enough to illuminate the twilight. It would just lurk around the light source, exactly as it did the star in the story about Hazel. But that did not matter anyway, as it would be impractical to carry the tools needed from the basement with one hand restricted to the oil lamp.

He could just about reach the paint, but as he tried to slide it off the shelf, he unfortunately pushed one of the others. The blue coloured tint came crashing down. His father heard the jar break and yelled from upstairs.

One simple mistake could be fatal. It seemed like the dark was laughing at him.

He cried like the little boy he was. All alone in the dark basement, broken glass tearing at the flesh of his naked feet, and blood mixed with blue tint. There was no need for punishment. He could already feel the sting of his father's belt.

_Mum_, Daniel thought as the tears blurred his vision, _I miss you._

* * *

The days became longer as summer neared, and almost six months had passed since Hazel turned two years old – still she hadn't been baptised. It really bothered Daniel, but how should he tell his dad?

John was a fluid man; some days he just locked himself up in his room all day. Others, he could not think about anything but work, and Daniel was to follow along. The boy did not dare protest.

Then there were days, he just wanted to work away all on his own. This was one of those days, and Daniel utilised it to spend time with his sister.

Hazel squeezed the teddy bear Daniel had given her on her first birthday, which she suitably had named Mr. James. "Danny!"

"Come on, Hazel, stand up!" Daniel reached encouragingly out for her, kneeling down to be at eye level with his sister.

Hazel sat on the floor with Mr. James, her eyes squinted in concentration. They had become green like Daniel and Emily's – only John had grey eyes – and she had acquired the same rich, corn blonde hair her mother used to have. She placed her hands on the ground for support and got up on her feet – then fell right back on her bum again.

Daniel tried his best to hold back his laughter. The toddler pouted, "I can't, Danny!"

"Of course you can," her older brother said, "You've done it before! Now try again!"

Hazel got a determined look on her face, "You will tell fairytale?"

Daniel nodded with a small grin. Hazel had already grasped the concept of negotiations at the age of two; if big brother wanted something from her, he would have to offer something in return.

A bright smile appeared on her face. She elevated herself from the floor so eagerly that she almost got overbalance, but she managed to stay upright. Carefully, she took a tentative step.

Daniel bit his bottom lip and cheered her on, "Good, Hazel! Keep going!"

Though wavering a bit, she was moving. She staggered on her short legs, closing the distance between her and Daniel till she was midway, then came to a halt. He tilted his head in confusion, motioning for her to continue. "Come on, sis, you're almost there!"

Hazel still hesitated, so Daniel strategically made his next move, "You want to hear the story about the morning star, right?"

That did it. The little girl gleamed with excitement and ran the last few steps right into her brother's arms. Daniel embraced her and lifted her up, "Good girl, Hazel!"

"Wee!" Hazel cheered, "Fairytale now!"

"All right, all right!" Daniel chuckled and put her down, "But I need to make dinner for Father, so you will have to accompany me in the kitchen to hear it."

Hazel did not seem to mind, as she freed herself from Daniel's arms and employed her newly found skills to rush out to the kitchen on her small feet.

Daniel gaped at her, but quickly recovered from the shock and hurried after her, "Hazel!"

* * *

Daniel finished the fairytale by the time the dinner was ready. "And that was how the morning star came to be!"

"The sun!" Hazel giggled, giving Mr. James a squeeze.

Right then the front door opened, letting in a stench of liquor that continued to permeate throughout the rest of the small house. Hazel didn't light up the way she did when Daniel returned home. Instead her smile vanished and she recoiled.

John entered with heavy steps, slamming the door behind him. He didn't seem to be in a very good mood – but then again, he usually wasn't. He kicked off his boots and threw the jacket on the floor, not bothering to hang it on the coat stand.

Daniel hurried to prepare the dinner on a plate and put it on the table. John didn't even glance at the food. He merely walked past the table to the cupboard, grabbed a bottle, and then turned to leave the kitchen again.

The sturdy man's son stared for a moment in shock, then blinked vigorously and blurted, "Father! Aren't you going to eat?"

John halted and finally spared the plate on the table a look. He picked it up and studied the food, then threw it in the dustbin. "I am not hungry."

Daniel looked down into the dustbin on the wasted food he had spent almost an hour preparing. "Um… What about the baptising?"

"What?" John stalled again, but did not turn around to look at his son.

"You said that we could baptise Hazel when she turned two… A-and that you would cancel her membership in the funeral club," Daniel continued while fidgeting with the sleeves of his old, baggy shirt.

His father stood for a while, not moving an inch. It made Daniel wonder if he actually considered his words. But in the end John only gave a grunt as response, then went to his room. Daniel's shoulders slouched in exhausted disappointment.

Almost as if on cue, Hazel suddenly began coughing.

Daniel raised his eyebrows and looked at her. The small coughs turned into a minor seizure. He felt the panic spread throughout his body, as he hurriedly sat down beside her and rubbed her back, "Hazel, what's wrong?"

Hazel was unable to tell him. As the coughs became more violent, she squeezed Mr. James tighter and clutched her small chest. Daniel's anxiety grew and he didn't know what to do.

But then, just as abruptly as it had started, the coughing ceased. Hazel seemed a bit shocked as she tried to regain her breath. Daniel coached her, "Slowly, Hazel. Take it slow!"

She took a couple of deep breaths along with Daniel, and then it was all over. She stood frozen in her place for a short moment, then suddenly returned to her normal self again, as if nothing had happened. She looked at Daniel with a big smile, "Tell me one more!"

Daniel was a bit taken aback by the whole episode, as sudden as it had been. He managed to give his sister a small laugh, the hesitant smile reflecting his uncertainty. Hazel rushed out to the living room and sat down to play with the toys Daniel had made for her in father's studio.

In all honesty, Daniel had become really worried. This was not the first time Hazel had had a seizure like that. He did not dare admit it to himself earlier, but something was very wrong with his sister. She had to see a physician.


	3. Playmates

**A/N:** Hello! So here's the official second chapter, not counting the prologue :D I just wanted to thank everyone who has been following my story so far! I'm so excited to get really into the story and introduce my characters. I hope that you will stick with me, 'cause I've got a lot planned :D Once again, thanks for the feedback and taking the time to read this little project of mine!

* * *

The mill was located by the Great River Stour on a lovely meadow on the outskirts of Canterbury. The sun had risen and was now spreading its warmth, definitely letting one know that summer had arrived. Daniel had decided to take plenty of shifts this summer; Hazel's condition was only getting worse, and he did not want to ask his father for a fee, so working full-time the whole school vacation seemed like the most sensible thing to do.

The miller was as strict as usual. Daniel worked several hours away by carrying grain sacks to and from the storage and loading the cart with flour. Not until noon was Daniel finally allowed some fresh air, as he was sent down the river to fetch some water from the well. The young boy skipped down the riverbank, wiping the dirt and sweat away from his face with the back of his hand. He didn't notice her right away, too caught up in the landscape and his own thoughts, but there she was, all of a sudden, on the other side of the river.

She appeared to be a little younger than him and was wearing a white dress with a salmon ribbon tied around the waist. Her hair was almost black; sunlight revealed the brown tint. It was tied firmly into a French braid and reached the mid of her back.

Daniel was going to ignore her and continue down to the well, but her big brown doe eyes – and the fact that she seemed to be lost, for she definitely didn't belong in a place like this – made him stop and ask, "Excuse me, miss, can I help you?"

She blushed and averted her gaze down towards the green grass. Her small hands started fidgeting with the hem of the long skirt. "Do you want to play with me?"

Daniel raised his eyebrows. He did not usually play with children his own age. He had once foolishly taken part in some games with his class, but Henry Bedloe had made sure to turn it into a nightmare. Daniel had learned that he couldn't trust anyone but his sister the hard way.

He hesitated shortly, "I… I can't. I have to work."

Disappointment draped her chubby face. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink colour. She fixed her gaze on the two buckets Daniel was carrying, obviously wanting to avoid his eyes. Daniel suddenly felt bad about rejecting her; she clearly had mustered up a lot of courage to ask. He pondered if he should say any more, but instead he just stood there with a bucket in each hand and felt like a classic fool.

She seemed to grow uncomfortable with the silence. She swayed her skirt slightly, "Were you not supposed to work?"

Daniel blinked. He looked back in the direction he came from, then turned his gaze towards the girl again and muttered, "Yes… I was…"

"Aren't only adults supposed to work?" she asked all of a sudden. Her shyness seemed to recede a bit.

"We have been short of money lately."

It wasn't a complete lie. Even though they _would_ have enough money to provide for themselves – if Daniel's father didn't spend it all on alcohol – John still didn't work enough hours to be able to afford a doctor on his salary alone. Only working when one felt like it did not raise the sale.

"Oh," the girl said. She was lost in her own thoughts for a short while before she looked at him again with her big eyes, tilting her head and tentatively continuing, "I can give you money?"

Those words caught Daniel's attention. He gave her a sceptic look. "Why would your parents want to give a poor boy like me money?"

The younger girl shrugged. "I don't know."

Daniel shifted his weight onto his other leg and raised an eyebrow, beckoning for her to continue, "So ...?"

Her eyes widened momentarily as she blushed. She kicked a stone on the ground and averted her gaze once again, "I just really want someone to play with…"

He just kept gazing at her with a thoughtful look. Something told him that this girl had at least as much difficulty socialising with other children as he had. She patiently waited for a response, but the patience slipped up faster than she probably would have liked it to. Her slightly tanned complexion turned red. She started tripping, and suddenly she blurted, "I'll give you money if you play with me today!"

Daniel was caught a bit off-guard. He frowned, "Really? Are you sure? You don't even know what I need them for. I might just be paying for my father's alcohol abuse!"

The lass obviously didn't know how to respond to a statement like that. She blinked, "What?"

Daniel shook his head at himself, feeling like an idiot. Why was he acting so foolish? If all he had to do to make some extra coppers was to play with a confused little girl, he really shouldn't be throwing away his chance. What was there to lose?

On the other hand, the girl could be lying. And if she wasn't, her easy access to money could mean one thing only – something that Daniel had had a nagging feeling of all along – she was most likely the daughter of a wealthy man. And if that was the case, Daniel was already finding himself on dangerous territory just by talking to her. If it was found out, Daniel wouldn't get any money and he most certainly would be severely punished by not only his father, but also the girl's family. It was a great risk.

But the thought of Hazel made Daniel consider it one last time. Anyone could tell that her health wasn't the best it could be. She needed this, and he would do anything for his sister, even if it meant spending a few nights locked up in the cellar. It was well worth it.

"All right, then," he said, "How much money and when?"

The girl glanced at the sun. "When are you finished working?"

"At six o'clock in the evening," Daniel answered, eyeing the girl. He still felt that he needed to be cautious.

"Meet me by the bridge at six. I'll give you ten pounds," she said coyly.

Daniel gaped. Ten pounds! Not only would he be able to afford the physician, Hazel could actually be treated with this kind of money! That is, if her condition wasn't too severe.

"Deal!" He stood right up. Now the work just had to be over and done with! "I need to hurry along, miss! I'll see you later!"

The girl waved as he rushed down the river.

* * *

The sun was still ever as vibrant by evening. Daniel worked twice as efficiently as usual and even earned himself a couple of compliments from the miller for his good work. He was elated. If that lass kept her promise, Hazel would finally be able to get the treatment she needed!

The miller let Daniel off early. The boy bowed gratefully and thanked him many times before he ran off to his special appointment. He wandered down the river feeling very pleased. A bit further down the bridge came into sight, and there she was, waiting for him. She was picking flowers by the riverside.

She caught sight of him and waved timidly. He blushed and waved back at her, not used to dealing with girls of nobility. As he reached her, she put out her hand with a single bill. "There you go, ten pounds. Is it all right?"

Daniel almost didn't dare touch the money, afraid that it might vanish into thin air by his touch. "How did you get a hold of these?"

"I just told Daddy that Mum wanted a new necklace," she said, averting her eyes to her shiny patent leather shoes.

"Won't they notice?"

"No, Dad does not care about Mum's jewellery. She buys new stuff all the time."

Daniel nodded and reached to tentatively grab the bill – it didn't vanish. He studied it from every angle. He had never before held such a great amount of money in his hands!

"Are we going to play now?"

Daniel looked at the girl again. Her dark brown hair was no longer in a braid; instead it was let loose, cascading down her small shoulders and back in soft waves. She was actually a pretty one. He nodded with a big grin.

She smiled back at him even wider. "So, what is your name? Mine is Serena da Silva!"

"My name is Daniel James Wilkinson, Miss da Silva," Daniel said, suddenly recalling his manners.

Serena looked at him in wonder. "Your hair is pretty," she murmured as she stroked one of his shoulder length, brown locks, causing the older boy to blush.

"Thank you. Yours, too, Miss da Silva."

Serena picked a reticule from her pocket and sat down in the lush grass. Daniel sat down curiously in front of her, beaming once he saw the marbles roll out of the pouch. "Do you know the rules?" Serena asked.

Daniel nodded heartily. "Yes, I used to play with my mother! But my dad threw them out a couple of years ago."

She gaped at him in disbelief. "Why would he do a such thing?"

"He said that I was too old to be playing with toys…" Daniel mumbled, remembering how his father had tossed out all of his toys back when he was only five years of age.

"Oh," Serena said, giving him a look of empathy. She probably never had had to deal with anyone taking her beloved toys away from her. "But I can be your playmate! I mean, if you want me to… As long as I won't have to pay you every time."

Daniel shook his head rapidly. "I would never expect that of you, miss!"

Serena giggled, "Just call me Serena, silly!" She had finally prepared the marbles as she handed Daniel his.

The children played the rest of the evening away. By the time they said goodnight, Daniel had completely forgotten how uncomfortable he had felt at first. They met several times that summer.

* * *

Only a few days after Serena so generously had given Daniel the ten pounds, he called in a physician. Father was in the studio, so Daniel didn't have to explain why a doctor was in need, nor where he had gotten the money – fortunately.

Doctor Tate was a man late in his thirties with an excellent medical degree and a pair of very large, round glasses. He actually lived in London, but frequently visited Canterbury Hospice and several other clinics in the county. When the local hospital heard about Hazel's symptoms, they contacted him, knowing that with the kind of money Daniel could pay, he should have a professional treat her.

The physician crouched in front of the couch with a stethoscope against Hazel's naked chest. She had had a strong reaction to the cold metal at first, but had slowly gotten used to it, calming down completely when Daniel took her hand. "Take a deep breath, dear," the man said. Hazel did as she was told.

Tate had a serious look on his gentle face when he packed up. Daniel helped Hazel get her nightgown on again while the Doctor explained his deduction, "I hear a faint rasp in her breathing."

Daniel frowned and fisted his hands. "Is it serious?"

"I can't tell, she is still too young. But don't be too worried yet, a lot of people can manage an ordinary life in spite of a lung defect."

He nodded, not liking the sound of his sister having difficulties with her respiration. Doctor Tate noted in his journal, then ripped the page and gave it to Daniel. "I recommend you get her a ceramic inhaler that she can breathe hot water infusions from daily. It will help clear her airways. Feed her a spoonful of laudanum if she experiences any coughing attacks."

Daniel nodded once more, the Doctor's words making him feel even more miserable, as providing Hazel with an inhaler seemed completely unrealistic with the budget he had to work with. Apparently his worry was evident; Tate put a hand on his shoulder and said, "It will be fine, son. An inhaler is not very expensive, and your sister's condition is not too severe."

_Yet._

The word echoed in the back of Daniel's mind, but he forced a smile.

Hazel sat on the couch, hugging Mr. James tightly. She did not understand why Daniel looked so sad or who the man was. She did not understand what they were talking about – but she knew one thing, and that was that she didn't like seeing Daniel upset.

She brought a hand to her chest as she felt a sting.


	4. Reunion

**A/N:** Here we go with the next chapter! This is going to be the last one of this part before I skip a few years ahead and really get into the story :D Starting from the next chapter, the chapters are going to be considerably longer, so stay tuned! (;

I just want to once more thank everyone who has been reading and following my story so far, and even reviewed! It means a lot, and it inspires me to keep writing! Thanks so much! :D

* * *

She would always be there.

Every evening after work, Serena would walk along the river bank and pick flowers. She wore a new dress every day.

Daniel didn't mind. In fact, he was overjoyed whenever he saw her. It felt like a ball of warm, positive energy starting in his tummy, then spreading throughout the rest of his body.

The physician didn't cost ten pounds, but Serena refused to take the rest of the money back. She insisted on Daniel buying something nice for himself, so he went into town to obtain the inhaler and medicine for Hazel; he couldn't think of a better investment after what Tate had said.

Daniel shuffled merrily down the trail leading into the village as he came by a small, run-down farm. The old rusty well, the ruined fences and the overgrowth contributed to make the place look abandoned, and it had been this way for years – but everyone knew very well that the lot was occupied. The owner had never made any effort to fix this place up.

Daniel slowed down, making sure that his steps were silent. This was a place, where he always would be cautious. The dry gravel on the ground crackled with his every step; he flinched. He didn't like it here. On any other day, he would've taken the longer route to the city centre, but today Hazel didn't feel very well, so he wanted to take the short-cut in order to return home earlier.

He was making progress. Not until he finally neared the main courtyard of the small farm did he suddenly hear an angry female voice thunder across the lot, followed by a bunch of aggressive slapping sounds. Daniel felt his heart skip a beat by the sheer shock. He had no idea what was going on, but his gut was telling him that it would be best to slip by unnoticed, so he quickly sought shelter behind the barn.

"_How_ can you be so _dumb?_ Why am I burdened with such a retarded _brat_ like you? _**Are you even listening to me?**__"_

Daniel peeked out from his cover; there, in the courtyard, were Henry Bedloe and his mother.

Henry's mother had once been a beautiful woman, but the alcohol and depression had aged her. Her dirty blonde hair was thin and greying, and dark circles, wrinkles and blemishes haunted her face. Her back had become completely hunched and she looked way too thin for it to be healthy. Henry didn't utter a single word even though the woman slapped him several times. She had a firm grip on his arm, which he tried his hardest to break free of, but his attempts were futile. He did his best to keep from crying, but Daniel saw the tears well up.

"Oh, so you're also a baby now, huh? You're so useless! Just get back to work!" the mother mocked again, pushing Henry to the ground. Daniel gasped when the boy received a kick to his stomach. A piercing cry resonated throughout the courtyard.

"_**Shut it!**"_

Henry curled up with an arm across his abdomen, biting back his sobs. Daniel's thoughts were stirring into a big mess, and the only thing he knew was that he needed to get out of there immediately. He sneaked further back behind the barn in an attempt to go in another direction, but as he was about to run towards the other end of the courtyard, Henry's mother suddenly came strolling, and he had to jump back into his cover.

Daniel turned his gaze back towards Henry. The quite sturdy boy was shaking, his blonde hair dirty and greasy from a hard day's labour – and abuse, probably. The younger one didn't know if Henry was going to be all right, but he didn't feel like hanging around to find out in case Henry didn't appreciate his concern, which was very likely.

When the mother was completely out of sight, and Henry hadn't moved for almost ten minutes, Daniel saw his chance to escape. He slipped silently out of his hiding spot and walked along the edges of the courtyard, and when he finally reached the main path on the other side, he started running.

* * *

The summer went by fast. Daniel and Serena spent most of it together – that was, when Daniel didn't have work to do at home, the studio or the miller's. He turned nine in late July, and Serena insisted on celebrating it.

Now, _that_ was something Daniel wasn't used to. At first he was speechless, unable to try and convince her that it wasn't a big deal, but when the girl showed up with a basket full of muffins, he simply had to argue. "Miss da Silva, you are too kind! The money you gave me was already far too much…"

Serena merely giggled at him, "Oh Daniel, don't be daft! I enjoyed baking these cakes for you!" She paused for a moment to rethink her words, then shrugged. "Or at least the maid did."

Daniel laughed at her, unable to keep from smiling. Even though Serena hadn't made the muffins herself, he still had never experienced such interest from another person in celebrating him ever before, whether the occasion was his birthday, good grades, or something else entirely.

The children spent the warm summer day on the meadow, just enjoying their cupcakes while conversing. Daniel usually had difficulty opening up, but he found Serena very affable. It seemed that the younger lass wasn't so shy after all. "Now, tell me about your baby sister," she said, "You always mention how you have to care for her, so you cannot blame me for being curious!"

Daniel chewed and swallowed his muffin, "She is still very young, so I have to look after her."

She took another cake, laughing at the obvious statement. "Yes, I figured! I'm not _that_ dense, Daniel. But I'm just wondering, isn't your nanny supposed to do that?"

He looked at her with surprise. "Why would you think that? Were _you_ looked after by a nanny?"

Serena nodded, as if it were a matter of course. Daniel mentally reminded himself to reconsider the wealth of this girl's family. He turned his gaze to the half eaten muffin in his hand. "No, we aren't as fortunate. Besides, she is ill, so she needs a lot of attention."

"What about your parents? Are they not taking care of her?" Serena asked while unwrapping her muffin, as carefree as ever.

Daniel shook his head. "Um… My father is much too busy working." A little white lie never harmed anyone.

"And your mother?" Serena tilted her head with a curious look.

Daniel swallowed, hoping that Serena didn't notice how he tried to avoid her gaze. "My mother passed away nearly three years ago, Miss da Silva."

"Oh."

He gripped the cake so tightly, it began to granulate between his fingers. Serena's eyes locked on the crumbling muffin, her voice softening, "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be, it's not your fault whatsoever." He shrugged, hoping that it would come off as casual.

Serena was quiet for a short while, only to open her mouth again shortly after, asking a new question, "Was that why you needed the money? For your ill sister?"

Daniel nodded silently, unwilling to offer much else of a respond. She turned her gaze to enjoy the view of the countryside landscape. Canterbury was truly idyllic in the summer. All the colours of the rainbow embellished the field in form of flowers, flourishing in the heat of the sun. "What is her condition, if I may ask?"

"Lung defect," Daniel said without further ado as he followed her eyes out to the meadow. He felt strangely comfortable confiding in Serena like this.

"I'm sorry."

"She is not dying!" It came out a bit harsher than intended. The look on Serena's face made Daniel want to slap himself. He quickly altered his tone, "She can get through this… Doctor Tate told me that many live a normal life despite of a lung defect."

Serena's expression softened as she offered a cheerful smile. "Of course, there is nothing to worry about! If she is anything like you, she will be fine!"

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "How would you know? You hardly know me… We have only spent a single summer together, and it's not even over yet."

"Oh, I can tell!"

Now he raised both brows. Serena grinned at him. "You should have more faith in yourself, Daniel!"

Daniel looked at her for a moment, unsure what to think. He found that he couldn't find a way to respond to a statement like that, so he changed the subject instead, "Oh! Um, well, why don't you tell me about yourself, now?"

Serena didn't seem to mind the sudden change of topic. "Oh, Daniel! When this summer ends, I am going to start school!"

He tilted his head. "Which school?" He secretly hoped that she would be attending the same school as him, even though he doubted it. A girl of the upper class like her didn't belong in a public school for working class children.

"I don't know, but Mum told me that it is a really superb one! But it means that I need to go home soon."

Daniel looked at her disappointed. "Already? But it's not even dinner time yet!"

Serena giggled, "No, not now, dummy! I mean that I soon have to return to London."

Daniel's eyes widened. He sharply turned towards the girl beside him. "_London?_ You live in London?"

She looked at him bewildered, nodding. He collected himself again for a moment, then blurted, "Why haven't you told me?" But soon, the sudden outrage was replaced by genuine interest, "Oh, what is it like there? Isn't it huge? How are the museums?"

Serena seemed overwhelmed. "Please, calm down! I don't know much, we have only just moved there."

"Where did you live before, then?" Daniel suddenly had a lot of questions.

"Dad is a businessman, so I have been travelling a lot with him and Mum," Serena said while raking up straws of the grass beside her, "But now we have finally settled down in London. I am going to start school late by one year, but Mummy told me that it will be fine…"

Serena seemed wistful. Daniel didn't know why, but he decided not to ask. Instead he said, "Then what are you doing in Canterbury?"

"Father bought a cottage," Serena said, grabbing a new muffin, "It's our first summer out here. Truthfully, there really isn't much to do, all I do is play dolls with my older sisters. I was really bored until I met you!"

Daniel tried in vain to hide a blush, not daring to admit that he actually felt the same way, nor how much he was going to miss her when she would be leaving for London. "You're lucky," he mumbled, "I would love to live in London."

"I am just so excited for the balls!" Serena looked to the horizon dreamily, "I want to go out and dance! But I'm not old enough yet."

"Then there will be plenty of time to practise your dancing," Daniel commented.

Serena puffed. "I am already practising! The governess just started teaching me last year."

"Oh. Well, that would make one of us."

She turned towards him, an almost comical look of disbelief draped over her face. "Are you not practising yet? Those dances aren't easy, you know!"

"But I don't have a governess to teach me how to dance," Daniel said in a vague attempt to justify his case.

"Oh, it's actually pretty simple, really! Come, I'll show you!"

Daniel wanted to laugh at Serena's contradicting herself, but he didn't have time as she dragged him up on his feet to teach him how to dance, with no possible chance of arguing on his part.

* * *

Daniel hurried carrying the last cargo into the storage before finally finishing up. Wiping the dirt and sweat off his face with his just as dirty hand, he ran out past the miller, yelling his goodbyes as he ran down the path along the Stour. Miller simply waved at him, knowing the boy had done his work for the day.

It was almost five o'clock. Daniel rushed until he reached the end of the trail, then sharply turned to the right. The main road towards the village seemed never-ending, but the boy was quickly closing the distance – it wasn't the town he was headed for, though. Midway down the course, he turned to the left, now running straight across the field. The overgrowth made it difficult to move fast, but nothing could stop Daniel. It was a race against time and nature. The sun announced the highlight of the day.

He finally saw it; a bit further ahead, a road appeared, and right by it, a great white mansion the size of a palace, he was sure. He had only seen this mansion once before, but he recognized it at once. A coach with four majestic horses fastened in the front stood waiting.

Daniel increased his speed as he ran down the hill towards the lot. For a short moment he actually thought that he could make it. Then the view was obscured by the row of tall oak trees in front of the house. He ignored them, determination pumping adrenalin through his veins. It was now or never; it might be his last chance.

He put the trees behind him, finally seeing the mansion right ahead. He reached it just in time to see the coach stroll away towards the Great Dover Road headed for London.

Daniel halted, nearly collapsing on the dirty gravel from exhaustion. He took a few strained breaths, supporting his hands on his thighs, then gathered his last strength and lifted his arm to wave at the coach.

_Farewell, Serena._

* * *

A year went by. With all the work, exhaustion and caring for his family, Daniel really just wanted the summer to encompass England, and finally June came along with its long days and blooming nature. The boy decided to take a walk, just strolling around the rural areas. In his opinion, this part of Canterbury was the most beautiful; the scent of the many wild flowers filled his nostrils, and the cool breeze made the heat bearable. This was the place he had spent most of last summer with Serena.

Daniel couldn't help himself from thinking about the girl, who had brightened up his day for a short while – especially not now that he was nearing her family's cottage. Great oak trees came into sight, reaching high up against the sky, and behind them was the mansion. A tall marble wall encircled the house, every now and then replaced by a fence or bushes, making it possible for Daniel to take a peek inside the garden.

His eyes widened, his heart shooting up into his throat. The house was not empty.

Three beautiful women sat under a charming gazebo in the patio, thorny roses twining up against the white pillars, all three drinking tea. One of them was a young girl, not quite a lady yet. Her skin was fairly tanned, which was highly unusual considering her blonde hair. She engaged actively in conversation with her party.

The second one was a young woman, at least the age of marriage, with dark, voluminous hair. It was longer and curlier than any other hair, Daniel had ever laid eyes upon before, but she didn't even tie it up. She seemed to be the one talking the most out of the women, charismatically relating some apparently incredibly humorous story, causing the others to laugh loudly.

The last woman was considerably older, still very handsome, though. Her hair was nearly raven like the former lady, and her skin even more tanned than the blonde young girl, making Daniel wonder how she couldn't possibly be a servant, as she obviously wasn't, considering her exquisite dressing. Her regular remarks seemed to bring about scandalised – yet entertained – outbursts from her peers.

A shout, followed by loud laughter grabbed Daniel's attention, making him turn his focus away from the tea party to another part of the large garden. There, Daniel caught sight of two younger girls playing around in the green, lush grass, right next to a tall tree with a home-made swing attached to it.

The first one was a fair bit taller than the second, probably older by a couple of years. She had just as tanned skin as the oldest lady, which Daniel by now assumed was the girls' mother, and she had long, dark brown hair. The look on her face wasn't an amused one, more annoyed. Evidently, she wasn't impressed by her sister's behaviour as she ran around the garden, trying to catch her.

And that last girl – the youngest one, laughing so happily while she did her best to keep out of her older sister's angry grasp – Daniel recognized from a summer dream.

A large smile formed on his face. Serena had returned.


	5. Two Worlds Collide

_1829_

Daniel pulled harder, gathering all his strength to haul the filled bucket out of the well. Despite having grown the last couple of years, he was still very lean. Just as he was about to pick it up, he was startled by a sudden lack of sight as something covered his eyes; he accidentally let go of the rope, and the bucket fell all the way back down to the bottom of the well.

"Guess who!" a female voice said.

He soon realised that the thing covering his eyes was a pair of small hands. Daniel slouched his shoulders, a smirk tucking at the corner of his lips. "Oh boy, I don't know… I am well acquainted with a lot of girls…" He felt a hard slap to his arm and burst into laughter.

"That is not funny!"

Daniel turned around to face his friend, "You are early."

"Happy birthday!" Serena beamed, showcasing the basket she always brought on this special day.

Daniel turned back to the well, grabbing the handle of the well to pull up the bucket again. "I am not kidding. You shouldn't be around these quarters, we arranged to meet on the meadow as usual."

"Oh, but I wanted to see where you live! And I must say, it is quite charming," she said, eyeing the fairly large cabin a little distance away from the well.

"That is not where I live," Daniel mumbled, knowing that his house wouldn't be as impressive.

Serena didn't catch it. "It is about time you show me around, Daniel, we have known each other for four years now!"

Daniel grabbed the bucket and turned around to face Serena, "And what do you suppose the peasants would think, seeing a daughter of a wealthy industrialist wandering around the murky part of town? Not to mention your mother."

"You are such a mood killer," Serena complained, "Can I at least see your house?"

"No," Daniel said without second thought, "And that is not my house."

Serena immediately snapped out of the longing gaze, she had sent the cushy looking cabin. Daniel started walking down the path. "We'll meet back at the meadow. Now get out of here before anyone sees you!"

She pouted. "Fine, then!"

* * *

Serena was waiting by their usual meeting place; the Blean forest. She sat in the grass, eating a muffin contently. Daniel smiled and waved at her. As he came closer, she said, "So, how old are you now? Thirty-two?"

"Very funny," Daniel said while she giggled, "I'm twelve."

"You certainly don't act like a twelve-year-old," she said, still amused.

"Well, you will be ten by the end of this year, and you still act like a five-year-old."

She stopped giggling immediately and glared at him, but he simply reached out to grab a muffin from her basket. She rapped his fingers away, "I don't think you can have a cake before you apologise!"

Now it was Daniel's turn to glare. "What exactly should I apologise for?"

"For insulting me like that!"

Daniel tried hard not to laugh. "I was merely addressing your immaturity, Miss Serena," he explained.

She pouted once again – it seemed that it had become a bad habit. "Don't mock me!"

"Can I just have a cake, please?" Daniel begged, growing increasingly tired of the trivial argument.

Serena finally gave in, also laughing now. "All right, all right."

Daniel grabbed the basket and removed the cloth covering it, only to be surprised. Not only was the basket filled with cupcakes, in the middle lay a square parcel. "Open it!" Serena said, excitement twinkling in her chestnut eyes.

He looked at her with bewilderment. "Did you … actually buy me a present?"

"Of course! You get presents for your birthday, don't you?" She rolled her eyes. "You are such a dummy sometimes, Daniel!"

Daniel wondered what could be in the package, still feeling somewhat baffled. He had given up on trying to convince Serena not to give him anything a long time ago, though, so he didn't bother to complain about her generosity.

"What are you waiting for? Don't you want to know what I got for you?" Serena asked.

Daniel stayed silent for a short while, still lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly he smirked at her, "Truth be told, I am actually worried. You might just have gotten me something horrid. I better leave it wrapped, as to not have my illusion of this being something nice be ruined."

He received yet another slap. "_Ouch!"_

"I did not buy you something horrid! In fact, this is actually something you really want."

"Is that so?" Daniel said, curiously eyeing the gift. He began carefully tearing at the paper, never having unwrapped a present before.

Serena was ever so impatient. "What are you doing? Just tear it up, already!" She practically had to do it for him. The children unwrapped the package together.

Daniel's eyes widened in revelation. "Oh God, Serena..."

"I hope you haven't read these before," she said, warmth spreading in her cheeks and colouring them pink, "They were some of the more expensive ones."

In the package were wrapped three large books on history dating back to the ancient Egypt, and Serena was right – it was some expensive, rare editions, Daniel would never be able to get his hands on by himself. "Thank you so much!" Daniel said, already turning the pages of the one about classical antiquity.

Serena leaned against his shoulder. "Can you read it to me?"

Daniel nodded. One of the things, he really appreciated about Serena, was her interest in his knowledge. Every year, Daniel taught her the things he knew about various subjects, and Serena herself was surprisingly interested in many aspects of history. They both frequently enjoyed reading a book about it together.

"Plato was a Greek philosopher as well as mathematician. A past student of Socrates', he became a very influential figure. One of his many famous texts spoke about a foreign utopian island called Atlantis..."

* * *

Later that evening, Daniel and Serena were chatting eagerly, having decided to watch the sunset together. "Can you imagine," Daniel sighed, looking to the horizon, "Me becoming an archaeologist and travelling across the world, discovering forgotten places and ancient artefacts _crucial_ to the development of mankind and life as we know it!"

Serena lay on her back, her eyes closed. "It sounds like a fairytale."

Daniel turned his gaze towards the grass, raking some straws up. "It is my dream. If I dig up something truly extraordinary, something never seen or heard of before, I might just be able to make enough money for Hazel to be cured."

"Does she even need to be cured? I thought it was just a regular lung defect?" Serena said, sitting up.

"It has gotten worse," Daniel mumbled, "Doctor Tate said that the inhaler will only do so much. It's keeping her alive, but she will always be in risk of suddenly having a stroke. Unless she gets the right treatment, but there's no way we'll be able to afford that."

"I never knew that her condition was so critical!" Serena said, astounded by the information, "And you have been taking care of her all these years! You must be exhausted!"

Daniel shook his head. "Hardly. Keeping my sister alive does not exhaust me. Watching my father being careless around her, now _that_ exhausts me."

"With all due respect, your father does not sound like a pleasant man," Serena murmured, having heard a number of stories about Daniel's father over the last couple of years.

"It doesn't matter," Daniel said, draping his arms over his knees and resting his chin on them, "Hazel is all that matters."

She gazed at him with a sympathetic look in her eyes. "I could try to bring you more money?"

"No, you shouldn't," Daniel said, offering an appreciative smile, "I need to handle this myself."

Serena nodded, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get him the money anyway. "I think you should chase your dream," she spoke softly, turning her gaze towards the setting sun, "It would be fantastic, really. You could move to London, and take your education there. Then we could see each other every day!"

Daniel grinned, "I think it would be a whole lot harder meeting up in London where everyone knows you, without me having to marry you."

"Who cares what they all think," Serena snorted, "We should be able to be friends without everyone turning their heads! I do not like how superficial our society has become."

"It has always been superficial." Daniel followed her eyes to the horizon, "You are just growing up." The two friends didn't say any more. They silently sat beside each other, watching as the sun lowered behind the trees, dragging its light and hopes and dreams down with it.

* * *

Daniel returned home late. The house was silent as usual; the boots were not present, so Father must have still been in the studio. The boy kicked off his shoes, then walked into the room he shared with Hazel. It was located directly underneath John's bedroom. There was a dim light inside; the lantern was almost out of oil.

He smiled, knowing his sister remembered that he wasn't fond of the dark, and thus leaving the lantern burning. The small girl lay in the shabby bed, John and Daniel had built her in the studio. There was barely any space in the room for both of the siblings' beds, but there was no other place to have them. She breathed in peacefully, once in a while rasping was so softly it barely was evident.

Daniel had brought Hazel a cupcake, but he obviously had returned home too late as she had already gone to bed. He decided to save it for tomorrow, and started undressing for bed. Unfortunately, he hit the drawer in the cramped space by accident, making the heavy history books borrowed from the local library tumble down onto the floor.

Hazel moved. "Daniel?" she peeped, rubbing her eyes.

He offered an apologetic smile, whispering, "I'm sorry, Hazel, I didn't mean to wake you."

The five-year-old girl sat up, obviously still drowsy. Tufts of dirty blonde hair stuck out in every direction, making it look like a bird had built a nest on top of his younger sister's head. "Did you have fun with Serena?"

"We can talk tomorrow, it's late," Daniel said, moving to tug Hazel under the covers again.

She immediately got a sulky expression on her face. "Yes, it is, and I demand to know what took you so long! What were you doing with Serena?" the girl said, demonstrating her best pout.

Daniel sighed and sat down at the bedside. "You're not going to let this go, am I right?"

Hazel nodded with a big, victorious grin. He smirked, "All right, then. Here, have your muffin." Daniel handed her the cake and she grabbed it at once, happily starting to nibble away at her treat; it was rare for both her and her brother to have anything as delicious as Serena's annual birthday cakes.

"So, what did you two do?" Hazel said with the mouth full of cupcake.

Daniel picked up the books. "She gave me an expensive gift."

Hazel's eyes turned as wide as teacups. "Fairytale books?"

"No," he chuckled, "History books."

"Oh. Well, that's also very fascinating!" She gnawed at her cake.

"And then we read them. We spent several hours just reading, so that's why it dragged on for so long, I guess... When we realised how late it had gotten, we decided to watch the sunset together."

"That sounds romantic!" Hazel cooed.

Daniel shook his head. "I guess it was. But we are just friends."

"I know, I know, you've told me hundreds of times!" Hazel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, irritated by her brother's continuous repeating of himself. Something told him that it was most of all due to a lack of sleep, though.

Daniel wrapped the covers around the small girl. "All right, I've told you everything, now go to sleep!"

Hazel finally complied at last, "All right, all right..." She yawned and lay back down in her bed. Not unsurprisingly, she was out within minutes. Daniel smiled, and got up to continue getting ready for bed – as he had obviously been distracted shortly. The lantern was almost completely out now. A few more minutes, and the room would be shrouded in darkness.

He noticed the light becoming fainter. He moved to the bed stand, grabbing the oil can beside the lantern, but he stopped in his tracks. Thoughts were accumulating. He fidgeted a bit with the switch, turning it a bit so the light attenuated further. As the room grew dingier, he felt small droplets form on his face. Images came to his mind; a small boy crying, a monster hiding in the dark, a vast void of nothingness, nowhere to run...

Breathlessness, a deep, tormenting fear, an excruciating _pain_.

_**NO ESCAPE.**_

Daniel gasped and opened his eyes, only now realising that they had even been closed. He immediately grabbed the oil can and emptied it into the lantern. The light became stronger. The room was once again engulfed in a dim, warm light. He found that he had trouble breathing, as if he had just finished a marathon. He fell to his knees in front of the bed stand, trying to collect himself.

"_Stop acting so foolish, boy, the darkness won't hurt you."_

It was his father's voice. Words from the past.

"_Give me that lantern, you're wasting oil. You're too old to sleep with the lights on, Christ!"_

He struggled to keep his emotions at bay, but the anxiety was stronger; he tasted salt liquid. Thank God, Hazel was asleep.

Daniel wiped the tears away and gave himself a moment to come to his senses, then stood up to move over to his bed. As he lay down, he grabbed the little rosary he hid underneath his pillow. He clutched it tightly and closed his eyes, praying that he and his sister would soon see brighter days.

* * *

"_... D-Danny... Dan..." _

Daniel woke up to the sound of heavy rasping. The boy frowned, opening one tired eye. Hazel was making strange movements in the other end of the room. He sat up, trying to focus his blurry vision from the sleep. As he realised what was happening, he immediately rushed out of his bed, "Hazel!"

Hazel's eyes were tearing up and her mouth filling with saliva mixed with blood. The rasps turned into a dry wheezing. She grabbed tightly unto Daniel's bare arm. The boy tried his best to keep calm. _Think, think, think! _He flipped the younger girl to lie on her stomach and quickly grabbed a nearby cloth, placing it under her mouth, "Spit it out, Hazel!"

She did as she was told while Daniel floundered through the drawers in the vague light of the lantern. He finally found what he was looking for; a small bottle of laudanum. He moved to sit on Hazel's bed again. The small girl was barely conscious. "Danny," she whispered through rough breaths, "My head hurts... And my chest..."

"I know, Hazel, just drink this," Daniel said as filled the spoon up and fed her.

Hazel drank it all up. She grimaced at the bitter taste, "Oh, that is just nasty!"

Daniel chuckled and gently placed a hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. "How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy," she said, still wheezing, "and I feel like my lungs are about to explode..." She did look awfully pale.

He stroked her hair, "Just relax and spit all of the slime out. Don't make any rash movements, all right? I'll go heat some water for your inhaler."

She merely nodded, pressing the cloth against her mouth as she continued coughing. Daniel put on his old shirt and a pair of trousers. There was no point in going back to sleep now.

* * *

Later in the evening, Daniel decided to move his sister out into the living room, so he could keep an eye on her while he did his chores. He was originally supposed to meet with Serena, but he couldn't leave the house while his sister was in this state. The seizure had developed into a scorching fever, and Hazel didn't do much other than sleep the whole day. She was still sound asleep when John returned home.

The man trudged in, halting as he noticed his son sitting by the couch with a bowl of water and Hazel sleeping. "What's wrong with her now?"

Daniel put the rag in the hot water, twisted the redundant fluids out of it and placed it on his sister's burning forehead. "She had a stroke."

John walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from his stash. "I thought you were going to work at the miller's today?" He sat by the dinner table and watched Daniel.

"I-I was. I have been."

"And you're already home?"

"The miller let me off early."

John didn't seem to buy it fully. He gazed at the boy with those glazed, grey eyes. Daniel held his breath, hoping that his father wouldn't notice how nervous he was. That he had work to do at the miller's today had merely been a lie to keep John from suspecting anything when he went to see Serena. But having John in the room always seemed to make the air somewhat strained anyway, so he guessed that nothing was different from the usual.

"And so... You just went home?"

Daniel jumped slightly at the sudden question. "Um... Yes, where else would I go?"

"You could've come help your old man in the studio."

Something about John's tone made Daniel's stomach squirm. "I... I had to take care of Hazel..."

John shifted in his seat. "Huh. So you already knew that she would have another seizure?"

"N-no! She had it in the morning, I left her sleeping at home while I was working." Daniel felt like he was being cornered. He silently prayed that the interrogation was over.

John didn't comment further for a little while. Another ten minutes passed before he spoke again, "Why don't you just give up?"

This time Daniel didn't answer. He felt himself grit his teeth.

John patiently awaited a response, but as he didn't get one, he continued himself, "You know that she won't stand a chance." The implication of mockery seeped through clearly.

_She would, if you gave her one._

"Aren't you exhausted? She keeps having those seizures. Do you remember last winter? I was sure she wouldn't make it."

_But she did._

"She is weak. She is unable to work, and we can't afford to have her educated – and honestly, I don't really feel like wasting my humble fortune on such trivial things."

_No, you'd rather throw it away on liquor._

"She's as good as dead to me, just like her mother. _Your efforts are a waste of time!"_

John jerked up from his seat, violently grabbed a new bottle and went to his room, slamming the door hard behind him. Daniel sat crouched by the couch without uttering a sound, gripping tightly onto Hazel's duvet.

The subject apparently wasn't only sensitive to the artisan's son.

* * *

Hazel remained unconscious for a couple of days, so Daniel thought it best to stay home and take care of her. She was fortunately feeling fine again after a week, so he decided to seek out Serena and apologise for not meeting with her as they had arranged.

He walked the other way around the meadow through the Blean. It was much faster taking this route to her house, when he wasn't walking from the mill. A fair distance from the mansion, he suddenly heard several voices chattering and laughing. He went around some trees and looked through a bush into a sunlit clearing.

A huge gathering sat together on a blanket, having a picnic. A few of them were servants, but these people were obviously wealthy – and Daniel recognized them instantly.

The blonde young woman, Regina, was combing Jess' long dark hair, Jess distracted by all the birds flying about. Katharina, the oldest one of the siblings, was reading a book, and Magdalena, the girls' mother, and Hilmar, her husband, were having a friendly conversation with their housekeeper and the governess.

And right in the middle of it all was Serena, chatting with her older sisters. She looked so happy and content. The whole group was undeniably enticing and attractive. The perfect family.

Daniel eyed the scene, increasingly feeling more dull inside; the expensive china, the fine garments, the several servants attending to the wealthy family. His heart dropped as Jess suddenly jerked up, starting to chase Serena around the clearing while they all laughed.

_I don't belong in her world._

Daniel unintentionally curled his hands into fists and left the scene to go home.

* * *

The sun was baking; it was early in the afternoon, and the last cart had been stocked. Daniel clamped the final bag of flour to the wagon and signalled for the coachman to go. Once the cart strolled away into town, the boy went to check the water flow. There had been some trouble with the mill, and the miller suspected that something had gotten stuck in the machinery. He walked around to the back of the large building and started rummaging through the small shed where the tools were kept.

"Where have you been?"

Daniel's heart skipped a beat. He turned around, but immediately relaxed when he realised who the voice belonged to. "Oh... Hello."

"You know, I waited for you for a whole hour the other day," Serena said, crossing her arms.

He pursed his lips, averting his eyes. "Hazel had a stroke."

Serena's eyes widened, "Oh my God! Is she all right?"

"Don't worry, she is fine now." He offered her a weak smile.

Serena nodded slowly, watching as he just went on with his work. He grabbed a crowbar from the shed and moved over to the water mill. "But you could at least have apologised," she mumbled.

"What?" Daniel yelled, unable to hear her any more due to the strong flow of the water.

Serena frowned, but then shouted back at him, "Never mind it. Do you want to meet with me after work?"

Daniel didn't answer while he fixed the mill. He seemed to struggle for a bit, but finally the crowbar let loose and the mill wheeled freely again. He put the crowbar back in place and looked at Serena. "Meet with you?"

"Yes? Like we usually do?" Serena said, feeling continuously more and more confused, "Is anything wrong?"

Daniel shook his head and averted his eyes. He tugged his hands in his pockets. Serena tilted her head, a deep frown furrowing her forehead, "Why are you acting so strange?" She looked down onto her feet and kicked a stone. "I missed you..."

The older boy suddenly turned his gaze towards her again. His facial muscles betrayed him as a small smile formed on his lips, "You… You missed me?"

Serena slapped his arm. "Don't make a big deal out of it!" She couldn't disguise the blush on her face either, though.

He laughed, instantly feeling a lot better. "All right, all right, I'll see you by the bridge at six!"

"Deal!" Serena beamed and turned to skip away. Daniel watched her till she was completely out of sight, a little smile apparent on his face.

_Maybe **she** doesn't belong in her world, either._

* * *

Good things must always come to an end. Daniel and Serena spent her last day in Canterbury just talking about anything their minds would occasionally stumble upon. "Doesn't your mother want you to help packing?" Daniel asked while watching the clouds.

Serena laughed, thinking Daniel's question to be silly. "Of course not, the servants are packing everything."

"Oh. Right."

She turned around to lie on her side, just gazing up at him. He tried to ignore it at first but eventually he grew too uncomfortable and blurted, "Stop staring at me!"

She just laughed at him, apparently finding his annoyance amusing. Daniel couldn't help but laugh as well and turned onto his side, facing Serena. "So, are you excited for school?"

Her smile faded immediately and she merely shrugged. Daniel frowned. For the past few years, Serena had refused to talk about her school or much of her life in London at all. He usually just let it slide, but over time it had started to nag him for some reason he couldn't explain. "Is everything all right? You never want to talk about your school."

"London is just no good," Serena pouted and turned on her back again, watching the clouds drift slowly across the sky.

"What are you talking about? London is amazing!"

"Then maybe you should live there!"

Daniel was surprised at her sudden outburst. He sat up, his confusion evident in his expression. "What is going on?"

"Nothing is going on," Serena sighed, but her avoiding his eyes didn't fool Daniel. "I... I just think that London would be a whole lot better if you lived there. So we didn't have to be apart for so long..."

Daniel could tell that even Serena herself didn't think that excuse to be very convincing. He was flattered by her comment, though. "But what has that got to do with your school?"

"Nothing! It's nothing!" Serena dismissed him, "Let's talk about something else!"

Daniel couldn't help but feel that there was in fact something wrong, but he decided not to bother Serena any more – it was after all their last day together this year. She had to head back in the afternoon already, but when she got up to leave, Daniel didn't let her go. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a warm embrace.

Serena didn't say anything. She just sighed and held onto him tightly. Daniel never knew, but her eyes welled up at that moment.


	6. Bruises

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm sorry I didn't write a short message the last time - and that I took longer than usual to update - so here's the new chapter a little sooner for all of you! :D

I was in quite a hurry when I uploaded the previous chapter, so I didn't have time to post an author's note. As you may have noticed, I've jumped a bit ahead in time and the chapters have become longer. The plot is starting to take shape, so stay tuned to find out what happens to Daniel and Hazel! I want to thank everyone who has been following, alerting and reviewing this story so far, it means a lot and keeps me motivated! Hugs to you all :D

**WARNING:** Slight mention of abuse and a bit of graphic content.

* * *

Mr. Cooper was walking his weekly route around the rural areas of Canterbury. The air was cool and the sun didn't shine any more, for it had become October.

In these months there never was much other mail than bills, business replies and letters about financial matters, much unlike the summer season that had the post office busy transporting personal letters and postcards from families on vacation in their cottages. The autumn was a nice break from all of that. Mr. Cooper neared the more isolated part of the surrounding villages, where the middle class people lived. The shabby, old houses were unmistakable, and just as he thought, there the child was.

A subtle smile formed on Mr. Cooper's lips. The lad was standing right by the mailbox in front of his humble residence, waiting ever so patiently early in the morning as usual.

Over the years, Mr. Cooper had become quite well acquainted with him. Daniel, was his name. Always in the autumn, especially around the months of October and November and then again in April and May, he would be waiting for Mr. Cooper to bring the mail – almost as if he was expecting a very important letter. He would beam with excitement whenever he saw the good postman with his marine uniform and white beard, but whenever Mr. Cooper didn't have anything for him, he always let out a disappointed sigh.

Mr. Cooper had for long wondered what the nice lad was waiting for, but he never asked. He had no business asking into others' private matters. However, when Daniel finally received his long awaited letter, he almost jumped out of his skin of glee. He would bow thankfully to the amused Mr. Cooper, wish him a great day – not just a good day, a _great_ one – and rush back inside the old house, probably to read it. Such a high spirit couldn't help but brighten Mr. Cooper's mood.

And today was no different from the usual. The gentle boy with the shoulder length brown hair and jade eyes waved at him happily, "Good morning, sir!"

"And good morning to you, Daniel," Mr. Cooper greeted, "How's it going? Is your sister well?"

"She could be better," Daniel's smile faltered slightly, "but she's been so strong. I'm sure she will get well soon!"

Mr. Cooper nodded sympathetically, "You're a good brother, lad, keep that in mind."

"Thank you, sir," Daniel replied, seemingly a bit uncomfortable talking about the sensitive topic that was his sister. He turned to look at the bag, Mr. Cooper carried over his shoulder. "Um, do you have a letter for me?"

"Let me see, let me see," Mr. Cooper chuckled as he started rummaging his sack of mails. For two minutes he searched for the child's precious letter, but there was nothing. He shook his head apologetically to Daniel.

Daniel's shoulders slouched slightly. "Oh. Thank you nonetheless, sir. Have a good day!" The youngster turned on his heel and rushed inside again. Mr. Cooper smiled; he really was something, that Daniel.

* * *

He lay on his stomach in an attempt to let the air soothe the cuts. It didn't help, though, and the boy bitterly remembered the only other way he knew of to make pain go away – by distracting your body with pain in another spot.

Daniel stood up and went to the closet in the kitchen. He rummaged it for a moment, then pulled out the first aid kit. He found himself some cotton pads and bandage, then grabbed a bottle of alcohol from his father's stock, and finally took the cloth hanging on one of the chairs.

He sat down in the couch again, starting to patch himself up. His shirt had already been removed as soon as he had returned home. He wetted the cotton pads in the alcohol, then started cleaning the wounds on his back gently. He grimaced by the touch – the sting was immediate. He looked at the used cotton pad, already tainted a dark red colour. He bit his lip and continued cleaning his back, trying to endure the pain as best as he could. When he had finally finished, he dipped the cloth in hot water and rubbed it over his back. It was still sore, but it felt a lot better with the warmth of the wet cloth against his wounds. At last he could bandage the worst of the slashes.

He put on a clean shirt after the ordeal as usual. He checked his arms; the cuts were almost gone, but they probably never would disappear completely. The several number of bruises all over his body, on the other hand, would definitely vanish at some point, thank God. The deep wound on his thigh still hurt, the lesion on his neck had not healed quite yet, and the punch from the other day still hurt in his guts.

Daniel sighed and lay on his stomach to spare the back. _No escape._

* * *

"What did she say, what did she say?" Hazel sat on the bed, waiting with anticipation for Daniel to sit down beside her.

"Calm down," Daniel chuckled. He couldn't hide his smile, though – he felt like he was about to burst out of excitement. For months he had been waiting. The letter never arrived before September, as his pen pal knew that the costs of receiving a letter was high, and thus she made sure to only mail him two to three times a year.

November rain poured down outside, and even though it was late, Daniel had to see this letter – he hadn't had the time to read it all day! Besides, he had promised Hazel to read it to her, since she also wanted to know how his friend was doing. He slouched down onto the small bed, Hazel cuddling up beside him. He grabbed the knife, he had borrowed from the studio for emergencies, and cut the letter open.

Daniel tugged out the piece of paper inside the envelope. He unfolded it, beaming as he recognised Serena's delicate handwriting; it was certainly a lot prettier than Daniel's. He took a deep breath, and began reading aloud to Hazel.

_My dear Daniel,_

_I apologise for taking so long on writing this letter. I have to tell you something I simply cannot hold in any longer. Truth is, my life here is miserable. I did not want to burden you with my problems, but I feel like you are the only one I can talk to._

_It was not this bad at first, but the girls in school have become so mean. Whenever I can answer questions in class, whenever I just mention anything that you have taught me, they laugh at me! As if I am ridiculous for knowing such things. I hear them whispering behind my back, they say that I act like a boy. __My teachers even contacted Mother and told her about my behaviour, that it is disturbing that I know this much of so many 'unladylike' subjects! She was so angry, Daniel. She yelled at me to stop being a child. I feel so alone. Miss Mary keeps me company sometimes, but she doesn't know how I feel. Nobody does._

_I wish I never had to go to school. I want to be home-schooled, like my sisters were. But the governess is much more expensive, Father said. What am I to do? I don't want to burden my family, but I feel like I already am. It seems that whenever I open my mouth, people stare at me. Just yesterday by the dinner table, Father was talking about a deal he was about to make concerning an expedition to Italy, and I told them about the gladiators and the Colosseum we read about in your history book. For a moment everyone stared at me, then Mother forbid me to talk for the rest of the evening! I think my parents are ashamed of me. I do like dancing and singing and playing on the piano forte, but I like reading about history and physics and astronomy, too. Does that make me a hoyden?_

_I do not like it here. I just want to go back to Canterbury and be with you. You are my only friend, but I know now that I'll never be able to tell my family about you for they would never accept it. This place with these people, they are all so superficial. I do not want to be a part of it. Maybe I should have been born a boy. Maybe they are all right. I am not feminine or attractive enough to be a lady, right now all I am to them is a strange and confused little girl._

_And I really am confused. I just want to escape London. I miss you, Daniel._

_See you soon,_

_Serena da Silva_

"What did she say, Daniel?"

Daniel felt shocked. As he had read the first line aloud, he had gone silent and started reading it to himself, so Hazel hadn't had a chance to find out how Serena was doing. And it would be better if she didn't. "I-I'm sorry, Hazel," he slowly got up from the bed, "This is too private. It was only meant for me."

Hazel got a disappointed look on her face. He didn't avert his eyes from the letter as he placed himself back in his own bed, "You should sleep now. It's late." The little girl was confused, but didn't argue. She silently tugged herself under her covers, still observing her older brother without a word.

Daniel read the letter to himself all over again with a frown deeply implanted on his face. And once again. And just one more time. It was ridiculous! How could they treat her like that? The Serena he knew was no way near being an unattractive gamine – in fact, in Daniel's opinion, she was a very lovely and feminine young girl.

He couldn't help but feel that it was his fault, though. All those years, he and Serena had spent reading about all those academic subjects, he never knew that it would affect Serena's social life like that. He had completely forgotten about how a lady should behave – and that Serena was supposed to be one. And obviously she had as well.

Daniel could do nothing but bite his lip and fist his hands out of frustration for a moment. He had never felt such an immense anger before. He wasn't normally a tempered boy - much unlike his father – but he really wanted to tear this letter apart, as if it would make a difference to Serena's situation in London, which of course it wouldn't. Instead, he shot up from his bed and went to find a pen and paper, then sat down by the small bed stand and began writing his reply in the limited space he had.

_Dearest Serena,_

_I am shocked to hear about all of this. And I must admit, it angers me. I certainly do not think of you as unattractive or unladylike, definitely not, do not let them make you think that! Pardon my forwardness._

_I am glad that you told me. I just wish I could do something. Being all the way over here in Canterbury really discourages me, but I promise you that things will get better. Good things come to those who wait. And if things do not get better, then remember our promise; someday I will come to London to go study at the university, and then I will make sure that nothing ever hurts you again. That is a commitment. For now, hold on to your sisters and Miss Mary. They seem to care for you greatly._

_I hope summer comes along fast enough. Take care,_

_Daniel J. Wilkinson_

Daniel recited the letter to himself a couple of times, making sure he didn't miss anything or made any spelling or grammar mistakes. He didn't want to make a fool out of himself in front of Serena, who was already a skilled reader and writer in spite of her young age.

"Danny?"

He turned around. Hazel sat up in her bed, looking worried. She had been observing him for quite a while now, even though Daniel had told her to go to bed. "What is wrong?"

"Please go to sleep, Hazel," he mumbled as he folded his letter.

Hazel pouted, "But I can't now... You promised you would read that letter to me!"

Daniel sighed and thought for a moment, then said, "Tell you what. If you go to sleep now, I'll take you into town tomorrow, and afterwards we can go collect chestnuts in the Blean and visit Mother's grave. How about that?"

Her round, green eyes lit up like never before. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Yes! Now quiet down, Dad's asleep!" he said, trying not to laugh.

"All right, then!" Hazel lay down in her bed again without further ado, "Goodnight, Daniel!"

"Sleep tight," Daniel smiled, watching his baby sister snuggle into her covers and close her eyes. It was time to go to bed.

* * *

The sun was unusually bright this November noon. Daniel took in the beautiful sight of the many golden colours unfolding throughout the nature. Hazel seemed to quite enjoy the fresh air as well. "Look at all the birds! Danny, look!"

Daniel merely responded with a hum, lost in his own thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder what London was like in the autumn.

The market was not too far now, and as they neared the Westgate, the road became a bit more crowded. Coaches driving to and fro town strolled past the siblings and they even came across pilgrims and sellers. Hazel was overjoyed to say the least. She was gawking and gaping at anything they came by. Daniel had to remind her that it was rude to point fingers at strangers.

Most of the city walls had been removed, but the Westgate still remained, and the jailer's house on the north side had recently been finished building. The scent of freshly baked bread from the baker's further down the street filled the children's nostrils as they walked through the rather narrow arch between the towers.

Daniel went down St. Peter's Street, directly past the baker. Hazel shot a longing glance at the pastries in the window, though she knew that they didn't have money for those kinds of luxuries. They crossed over the Stour River running through the town, continuing past Eastbridge Hospital – from there on, it wasn't a long way till they reached the post office. In fact, Daniel could see it right by the corner of Stour Street.

Before they went inside, Daniel halted to count his coins. He had one pound and thirty-two pence. "Hazel, what do you say we go buy some toffee to share after we've posted my letter?"

Hazel looked as if her eyes would roll out of her head any minute. "Really?"

Daniel nodded with a big grin. Nothing beat that expression on his sister's face.

The post office wasn't very busy today; only two other gentlemen were present. The postmaster himself took care of the customers, always trying to save money by running the business on his own whenever he could manage. Daniel waited patiently by the window, holding Hazel's hand.

The postmaster was a large, grumpy looking man with a big, red nose and grey hair sticking out from his unusually large nostrils. In general it seemed that the only place, the man didn't have any hair, was his head. For years, Daniel had convinced Hazel that he was one of Santa Claus' pixies.

"Thank you, Mr. Lewis. You have a nice day," said one of the gentlemen and gestured with his hat.

The postmaster bowed in response, showing the Englishmen the full row of his crooked, grey teeth, "You too, sir. Send Mrs. Evans my deepest condolences."

As the two men with the fine coats and hats left the post office, Daniel stepped up to the counter with Hazel in hand. He had grown tall enough to reach over the counter, so the postmaster couldn't pretend that he didn't notice the boy any more. "What do you want?" he said in a dull tone.

Daniel merely handed him the letter. Mr. Lewis examined it, as if he believed it to be fake or a scam of some sort, then finally stamped it and put it into the pile of letters going out of Canterbury towards northern England. "Anything else?"

The boy shook his head and bowed. "Have a nice day, sir."

The postmaster grunted, "Get out of here, you scoundrel."

Daniel hurried out of the small shop, relieved that the postmaster didn't try to charge him for the letter, though it was common knowledge that only the receiver paid for service. Hazel puffed, "He must be the grumpiest of all pixies. I can't believe Santa would hire someone like that, he could only ruin the Christmas spirit!"

Daniel chuckled involuntarily and shook his head at his cute sister. He tried to stem his laughing as he and Hazel continued down High Street, "Let's go get some toffee, Hazel."

The siblings turned left by Mercery Lane, finally arriving at the Buttermarket. The town square wasn't quite as busy as it had been a few months ago. The stalls from the summer season had packed up and moved on, which left the Buttermarket wide open with only bypassing people running their own errands.

Mrs. Bell's Treats and Sweets was a small but fancy shop placed in the corner of the Buttermarket, right across from the church gate of Canterbury Cathedral. It had been around for as long as Daniel could remember – and he remembered it all right, from all the times he had passed it when going to town with his father, wishing that he just once could taste the delicious candy, his mother used to buy for him when she was still alive, again. Daniel hadn't been into the shop himself before, but he had seen the price signs in the window, so he knew that they would be able to afford just one bag of classic, English toffee.

A girl a couple of years older than Daniel stood by the counter, tending to some other customers. Mrs. Bell herself came out of the back door leading to the kitchen with a tray, humming merrily as she put the newly baked treats on the shelves. She stopped in her tracks, when she noticed the lady standing by the counter. "Oh, Grace, my darling! How do you do?"

"Very well, thank you, Alberta," the lady, Grace replied, sending her friend a vibrant smile, "How is the business? Did your husband sign the lease with the real estate agent in Ramsgate?"

"Oh no, dear, we could not for the love of God bring ourselves to leave Canterbury," Mrs. Bell chortled, "We will be around for a long time!"

Daniel couldn't help himself from listening in on the conversation. He felt relieved that Mr. and Mrs. Bell wouldn't move to Ramsgate, for he was quite fond of their sweets.

"Good to hear, friend, good to hear!" Grace said, "By the way, have you heard the news of poor Mr. Evans? He finally passed away just last week!"

Mrs. Bell's eyes widened, the red colour in her apple cheeks fading slightly. "Oh no, how terrible! So Mrs. Henrietta Evans finally became a widow."

"Yes, but that's not all," Grace's voice stilled to a whisper, "Rumours say that Mrs. Evans herself poisoned her husband."

"What a morbid rumour!" Mrs. Bell gasped, "Do you actually believe that?"

"I cannot say anything about the matter," Grace said, "but Henrietta indeed seems very pleased with the amount of money she owns now."

Daniel thought that it was horrible if Mrs. Evans really had poisoned her own husband. To think that money could be such a big deal!

"Aye boy, what would you like?"

Hazel tugged in Daniel's shirt sleeve, causing Daniel to break free of his train of thoughts. The older girl gestured for them to come to the counter.

* * *

Hazel sprinted around, trying to collect more chestnuts than she could carry. Birds were chirping their happy songs and dim sunlight penetrated through the treetops, making the whole scene peaceful and idyllic.

Daniel sat under a large oak tree, enjoying his toffee. Once in a while he shared some of his with Hazel, despite the fact that they were supposed to have an equal amount each and Hazel already had eaten all of her own toffee. They had been at it for hours, playing around while collecting chestnuts throughout the Blean, so Daniel had settled down to relax, keeping an eye on his younger sister while she finished up.

"Danny, look how many I have now!" Hazel yelled, while trying not to drop any of the chestnuts. The bright sun from earlier that day had caused small freckles to appear along the bridge of her nose and cheeks.

Daniel smiled. "Be careful, Hazel, we don't have much more space in the bag."

The five-year-old girl skipped over to her older brother and dumped her collection into the brown bag. "Do you think Father would want to join us when we make chestnut animals?"

Daniel's smile faltered. He bit his lip apologetically, "You know that Father is busy, Hazel."

Hazel nodded, her gaze turning down to the bag of chestnuts. He quickly got up on his feet, changing the subject, "Are you done? We should go visit Mum before the sun goes down."

She lit up again by the mention of their mother and tried to pick up the heavy bag. She wasn't able to. Daniel picked it up instead, chuckling at her efforts. "Let's go."

The siblings walked through the Blean, talking and fooling around while admiring the beauty of the forest. Eventually they reached the outskirts of Canterbury; here, the fields flowed freely throughout the landscape, and no houses or buildings were in sight. "Why did father bury Mummy all the way out here? It's such a long walk from home!" Hazel wondered out loud, while trying to walk through the tall grass without falling over herself.

"He didn't want anyone disturbing her peace," Daniel replied, kneeling down in front of her so she could hop onto his back, "And he refused to have her buried in the pauper grave. At that time, we had even less money than now, so he could not afford to give her an official burial."

In the distance a lone, lush ash tree on top of a hill came into sight. Hazel tightened her grasp around her brother's neck as they started ascending the hill. "How come we didn't have any money? I know that Dad's business used to be very profitable, Mrs. Phillips next door told me so!" she said, eager to know more about the time when her mother was around – and using a fancy word, she had just learned.

Daniel shot Hazel a surprised look over his shoulder, "When did you talk to Mrs. Phillips?"

"Oh, she's always around our house in the morning, milking her goats by the stable. Sometimes she lets me help out! They're so cute, and she always brings Rufus, you know, their big bloodhound!" Hazel chattered.

"Hazel, you shouldn't go out too much when I'm not there to keep an eye on you, you know that."

She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes, changing the subject, "You didn't answer my question!"

Daniel could see the small gravestone under the tree. "You're right, we wasn't always this poorly off... I was your age back then, so I didn't understand much of what was going on. But I remember our parents fighting a lot. Father yelled at Mum, he was frustrated because she wasn't able to work any more. She had become pregnant with you, so she was weak and ill. All while England suffered from a crisis; it really affected the market towns in particular, so we lost a lot of money. Everything was just … very bad timing."

"Oh," Hazel mumbled, "So it was actually all my fault…"

Daniel halted, put Hazel down and knelt in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Don't ever think that," he said, looking straight into her eyes, "You were a blessing to us."

"I don't think Daddy feels the same way," she said softly, her green eyes glinting as the tears built up.

He pulled her into a warm embrace, gently stroking her thick, long hair down her back. "Father loves you just as much as I do. He's ... just not very good at showing it. He still misses Mother, so he doesn't realise that he's missing out on you. Don't cry, Hazel."

"I'm sorry," Hazel sobbed, "I miss Mummy, too. Even though I've never met her…"

"She's right here in our hearts," Daniel said and placed a hand on the left side of her chest, giving her a reassuring smile, "You're with her every day. She lives within you, never forget that."

Hazel wiped her tears and giggled as Daniel gave her a kiss on her small, slightly snub nose. "Thanks, Danny. I won't!"

"Good," he smiled and stood back up.

They took each others' hands and continued up the hill, arriving at the ash tree and the grave right underneath it that John had dug for Emily. They stood in silence for a moment before Hazel moved forward, putting a flower, she had picked in the forest, on the humble grave. Daniel watched her as she talked to their mother.

"Hi Mum," she said, "I hope you're well. I found this flower in the Blean, it's nothing special, but I thought it was really pretty. So I want you to have it. Father is still working a lot. I never see him, and when I do, I'm honestly feeling scared of him. Were you scared of him, too? I can imagine not, for you were in love with him. Also, I don't know why I keep having all these troubles breathing. Doctor Tate is a big help, but it never stops, and even though Danny says that I'll get better soon, I feel like it's only getting worse."

Daniel swallowed and averted his gaze, but didn't interrupt. Hazel needed this; to confide in her mother.

"I'm afraid, Mum," she said and lowered her head, "Maybe I won't be able to do all these things, like go to ballroom dances or travel. Maybe no one wants to marry me when I come of age. Maybe I'll be left alone here, 'cause I don't want Daniel to be tied down because of me. I want him to go out and experience the world, because that is what he wants, I can tell. But I don't think I'll be able to go with him. I don't."

He fisted his hands. He would never allow Hazel to be left alone. Everything would be all right someday, he just had to find a cure.

"But I think I'd better go now, Mum," Hazel said, picking herself up, "for I do not feel so well, and I should let you and Daniel have a moment. I just wanted to catch up."

Daniel awoke from his thoughts at that remark. He grabbed Hazel, "You're not feeling well? What's wrong?"

Hazel dismissed him, rubbing her eyes. "Nothing, I'm just a little sentimental." She offered a weak smile.

Daniel let go of her, keeping a close eye on the girl as she moved to the other side of the tree. Perhaps she just needed some time alone.

He turned to the grave again. The flower was really beautiful, a nice, blue colour. It was unusual to find a flower like that in the autumn. "Hello, Mother," he said, moistening his lips, "I guess you're a bit worried for Hazel now. Don't be. I'm taking care of her. I won't let anything happen to her. Father is being a bit inconsiderate, but both you and I know he cares about her as well. Everything will be all right, I promise. Have faith in me."

He tried to catch a glance of Hazel, but he couldn't see her from where he stood. He gave up shortly and sat down in front of the gravestone. "But she is right about me wanting to travel. I want to move to London as soon as I'm old enough. I have a friend there and I want to become an archaeologist, I really like history. But you know that already."

What was Hazel doing? It was awfully quiet. "About my friend... I just got a letter from her recently, she was really upset. She told me that she was not feeling well in her party, and it makes me angry that she's treated like that. I don't ever get angry. I care about her a lot."

Daniel was silent for a while. He didn't know what to say. Where was Hazel, anyway?

"But it's going to be fine. I'll be there for her and Hazel… And even Father, whenever he's ready to pick himself up. I'm taking care of our family, Mum, don't you worry."

Suddenly he heard the rasping. It was loud, aggressive. He shot up to his feet, running to the other side of the tree, only to find Hazel on the ground. She was almost completely unconscious, only kept awake by her violent spasms.

"_HAZEL!"_

Daniel panicked, trying to flip Hazel onto her other side so she wouldn't drown in her own vomit. It poured out onto the grass in an eerily red colour. This was definitely not a good sign. He got Hazel to the local hospital; she could barely move or breathe, and her chest was blue and red. Unfortunately, Doctor Tate wasn't there, but she was checked up on by the other staff instead.

Hazel's condition had gotten worse. She was having internal haemorrhages in her chest area, but no one knew until now due to the bruises. Hazel became confined to her bed.


	7. The Angry and the Weak

**A/N:** I'm back with another chapter, wee! I apologise for not uploading last week - apparently deadlines and I don't go well together ._. - but as usual, I'm gonna make up for it by posting two chapters, so the next one should be up shortly! In the next couple of days or so, I expect :D

Again I want to thank everyone who has been reading, alerting and reviewing the story so far, I'm so overwhelmed by the great support I have gotten! It really keeps me going, and I hope you will all stick with me in the future. It means a lot to me, so thank you so much! Enjoy the chapter (=

**WARNING:** Graphic content, abuse

* * *

Daniel had initially planned for Hazel to start school the following summer, but obviously that plan had gone out the window. The doctors at the voluntary hospital had deduced that her condition had worsened a lot in a very short amount of time, which was very disconcerting. Her lungs failed to properly provide oxygen for her bloodstream, and due to this, her heart was weakening.

Daniel didn't dare let her out of the house any more, afraid that she'd might have a stroke any time. It was impossible to know if she was improving. Some days she would be fine, acting as if nothing was wrong at all. But others, she was very pale and slept the hours away. Due to this insecurity regarding her health, Daniel thought it best not to send her to school at all – he decided to teach her how to read and write himself instead.

They stepped into December and Christmas was closing in. Hazel had her birthday in the midst of the month, always right when the snow would start falling. She was convinced that the Lord made it snow in her honour every year; the thought may or may not have been encouraged by her older brother.

The sky was almost completely black outside, so Daniel had lit every candle and lantern in their small house. The Christmas sock he had made for Hazel hung discreetly by the stove, a place where their father wouldn't notice it. He had fetched some water from the well and heated it in order to prepare a bath for Hazel.

John wasn't home from the studio yet. He usually didn't work this late in the winter, so Daniel figured he was out mourning by his deceased wife's grave, like he had been doing every December for the past six years – even on his daughter's birthday.

Hazel sat on the couch, feeling as if her head was as heavy as lead. She wanted to help out, but she was unable to. Her body felt numb and her lungs were sore; simply breathing was a challenge in itself.

Daniel dragged the small iron tub into the middle of the living room and placed it on top of the cloth, he had spread out to prevent the water from splashing onto the wooden floor. He poured the hot water into the tub and checked the temperature, then grabbed a little piece of soap and stirred it into the water, making the surface foam.

"Hazel," he called and turned towards his younger sister. She didn't move an inch, just kept her head hanging low. He stood up and made his way over to her, gently grabbing her shoulder. "Hazel, the tub is ready."

Hazel jumped a bit, as if she had been asleep and he had just awakened her. She smiled meekly and nodded, following him over to the bath. She still seemed like she was a whole other place while Daniel helped her undress and get into the small container. "Oh!" Hazel exclaimed as she stepped into the water, "It's dead hot!"

Daniel chuckled, "Yes, it'll prevent you from catching a cold." He started scrubbing her with the brush.

Hazel turned silent and started playing around with the foam. Daniel's smile faded. He didn't like the way things had turned out. His sister was usually a chatty and light hearted child, and seeing her in such a gloomy mood seemed out of character to say the least. "So, let's revise some of what we talked about this past week," Daniel said, soaping her hair, "Give me an animal that starts with the letter E."

"Elephant," Hazel said.

"Very good. Now, this question is a bit harder; how do you spell it?"

Hazel was quiet for a second as she thought hard. She bit her lip in concentration, and when she caught Daniel glancing at her with a mischievous smile, she let out a nervous laugh. Daniel laughed as well. "Tell you what," he said, "We'll do some repetition of three letters, and then I'll tell you a fairytale. Deal?"

Finally Hazel lit up the way she used to, "Deal!"

And everything seemed to be back to normal. The siblings played around and had fun spelling various words with the letters, and eventually Daniel told her the story she was promised. Just as he finished the tale about Show White and Rose Red, the front door opened. The children immediately fell silent, gazing up at their father.

He watched them without uttering a word. The silence was deafening. It was as if it was a living form, compressing the atmosphere. The air was thick, almost suffocating, and not enough was said, yet too much.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, John finally broke free and dragged himself upstairs to his room. Hazel gave Daniel a questioning look. Daniel sincerely hoped that his baby sister didn't notice, for it wasn't very evident, but he had seen the thin, watery membrane that glazed over John's eyes as he had stared at Hazel; he had been crying.

* * *

Christmas had come around and left again, and they plunged into a new year and straight back into work. Daniel had received another letter from Serena, saying that she was very thankful and that she looked forward to seeing him again. He decided not to answer; he didn't have money to pay for any more letters.

It was that time of the year when the sky was grey and the nature seemed confused between being covered by the white blanket of winter and flourishing the vibrant colours of springtime, not really having settled for neither of them. The snow was melting away, making the roads slippery; the most primitive of them were completely unusable. That meant for Daniel that he had to carry the bags of corn into Canterbury himself, for it was too dangerous to transport them by coach.

A usual February afternoon, Daniel finished his work somewhat early. The sky was still grey when he was on his way home – a dark grey, but at least not completely black. There was nothing Daniel hated more than when he had to walk home in the dark. The air was still cold, and Daniel's breath turned into an icy white ghost form in front of him. He tied his scarf tighter around his neck. He was _not_ about to catch a cold and bring it back home to his fragile sister, that was for sure.

"Hey, Wilkinson!"

Daniel jumped slightly and turned around as he was pulled back. There was Henry, having Daniel's scarf in an iron grip. "Hello, Henry..." he mumbled, wincing by the rough grasp around his neck. Henry didn't seem to care – or he didn't hear. He quickly put his burly arm around the younger boy's small shoulders and dragged him into the dense scrub by the side of the road.

The tall blonde pushed Daniel to the ground inside the thicket. Daniel tried to stand up, but without warning he received a kick in his stomach, feeling all the air in his lungs being knocked out of him. Lucky for him that he was wearing many layers of clothing, otherwise that kick could have caused a much more severe kind of damage. Daniel barely registered anything as he was lifted up. His thoughts could only process one thing, and that thing was the silent prayer to his guardian angel. _Please, let this be over soon..._

It all happened so fast, Daniel didn't have time to detect what was going on. Usually he only received one or two punches at a time, but Henry was particularly aggressive today. He towered over Daniel, beating him senseless as if there was no tomorrow. The younger boy tasted sweet metal, gasping to catch his breath. He tried in vain to crawl away, but there was no escape. With a last hit to the side of his head, Daniel felt his vision blur. He saw Henry step back in a haze.

He felt something warm and sticky spread from his temple. As he slowly regained conciousness, he saw the red stains in the muddy snow, and the splitting pain hit him like a hammer. Daniel felt the panic spread through his body, feeding his veins with adrenalin. He anxiously looked around, but Henry was nowhere in sight.

Henry Bedloe went to class carrying the anger of his bitter mother. He never cried, he made others cry instead. Pain is like that, you either become sad or you become angry. Henry always chose the latter. But something was different today. Henry normally only showed up in school, always having his pack with him – and he wasn't usually this violent.

Daniel felt his stomach squirm and gulped. He was beginning to fear that Henry's anger was pursuing him.

* * *

The rain was heavy outside. Everyone had been expecting the storm to hit Canterbury soon, and it seemed like tonight was the night.

Daniel frantically searched through the cupboards in the kitchen, unable to find the laudanum; Father must have rearranged them, but this was no good time to be fumbling around in the dark. Hazel was suffocating and coughing up blood to the point that Daniel was nearly afraid that it might really be it this time, and it would take too long to heat water for her inhaler. But with the lack of progress he was making trying to find the medicine, it might have been all the same.

He felt the dread building up. What was he going to do if he couldn't find the laudanum? He couldn't ask John, for he wasn't home yet, and besides – he knew how he was going to react. Daniel shivered and climbed on top of a chair to look on the upper shelves; he'd rather just find it himself.

Just then the only lantern lit in the house went out, leaving Daniel falling down from the chair in shock. He couldn't see anything, save for the streaks of lightning outside that bathed the small house in flashes. He heard Hazel's half strangled cries.

"D-Daniel... Please..."

Daniel wanted to answer her. He wanted to find the laudanum, but he simply couldn't move as he slowly sunk to his knees. He felt his breathing pick up and his palms become sweaty. The shadows crept across the room, coming his way. The light was gone, they could move freely now, there was _no escape._

Then the front door slammed open. Suddenly there was light again and the shadows withdrew. John stepped inside with a lantern in hand and pushed the door close with great effort.

Daniel sat paralysed. For the next few moments everything went by in a blur, he only heard muffled voices and the sound of his own beating heart drumming in his ears. He didn't register anything until John began shouting at him. _"What are you doing, boy? You've become careless about her all of a sudden?"_

He jumped and looked up at his father. The stiff, dark beard had rain droplets dripping down onto the floor. "I-I…" Daniel stuttered, still terrified out of his mind due to the prior events. He suddenly remembered what had been urgent and got back up on his feet, "Father, the laudanum! Hazel needs it, I-I can't find it…"

He was cut short by a harsh slap to his cheek. He fell to the floor again, the right side of his face burning.

"You're _damn right_, she needs it! What the hell were you doing just sitting there? I moved the laudanum into your room a week ago! Are you completely daft?"

Hazel lay on the couch lifelessly. Daniel was unable to see if she was unconscious due to the thick hair covering her face. He really needed to fetch the medicine.

John wasn't done yet. "Don't tell me you are still afraid of the _dark!_ How do you expect to get through life? I don't believe this!"

Daniel tried to stand up so that he could go to his room and get the laudanum, but his father grabbed him by his shirt and bellowed right into his face, **"LISTEN WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!"**

"Father… Please…" he whispered, gently trying to make John loosen his grip.

"You just expect me to do your dirty little work, huh? I told you right from the start that it's a waste of time! She won't ever get better and you _know_ it! We can't use her for anything, she's a waste of our money and resources and space! Why won't you just give up on her? **SHE KILLED YOUR MOTHER!**"

Daniel bit his lip and swallowed hard. He blinked back the tears, determined not to let his father see him cry.

John finally let go and threw the boy onto the floor. "Go get the damn laudanum!" he growled, "And don't forget to clean up the blood!" He shoved Daniel into his room and pulled a box from under the bed, "There it is! Don't forget!" He picked a bottle and threw it at Daniel. The boy nodded, afraid of further angering his father, and hurried into the living room to give his sister the medicine.

She wasn't completely unconscious. She lay on the couch, barely able to move, and her white nightgown completely soaked in blood. The pained expression on her face maimed a little piece of Daniel's heart.

John went to the stairs, but didn't ascend them – he merely stood, watching Daniel give the fragile girl her medicine. "She'd be better off dead," he said in a low voice, sending Daniel a furious glare, "She's not worth keeping alive."

Daniel defiantly looked his father in the eyes. _You mean that she wasn't worth Mother's death._

The older man didn't utter another word. He went upstairs to his room, locking himself up for the night. Daniel sighed and focused his attention on his sister. Tears streamed down her face. "He hates me, Daniel… Because it was my fault that Mum died…" she sobbed, unable to keep from crying any more. She wasn't coughing up blood any longer, but rather choking on her tears.

"Hush, it's not true," Daniel said, though he knew that it was going to be difficult to comfort Hazel after this. So, instead of trying, he just let her cry while he held her.

The storm finally quieted down. Rain was still falling outside, but it was not hammering down on the roof and windows like earlier, and the thunder had ceased. For a while the silence dominated, and it felt somehow soothing. Hazel didn't speak up again until right before she fell asleep. "I just … want to show him that I'm not a waste of life..."

"You're not," Daniel whispered and stroked her hair, "He'll see someday. You're beautiful, Hazel. You should live, even if Mum didn't."

Her lids slid close, her lashes completely dry. A few moments later her breathing stilled.

Daniel unbuttoned her dress a bit to check up on the bruises on her chest. They had gotten darker and larger. The laudanum wasn't helping anything, but Daniel knew that already. It may have stalled the violent seizures, but it wasn't keeping Hazel's heart from breaking.

* * *

The miller didn't have a shift for Daniel, so there was no work today – unless John decided to drag his son back to the studio again, but he hadn't been doing that a lot as of lately. It seemed like Father was much content with working alone at the moment.

This noon the sun was shining. Not quite enough to actually warm the air, but there were no clouds and that was always a good sign. First came spring, then summer, and summer was the one temporary escape that he had.

He wandered the long road from school alone. He could take the shorter route to the village like all the other children in his class, but he didn't – he never did. He would rather walk alone. This way he could be sure that no one would bother him.

There was nothing but fields and trees on either side of the path, and occasionally he would walk past an isolated farmhouse, but not much else. He did feel relieved to be out of school, even though Henry hadn't been too bad today – a couple of comments and shoves was all that Daniel had had to deal with – but even despite of that, he didn't feel completely calm. In fact, he was worried that he might be on the verge to paranoia. It was all too quiet. Too peaceful.

Daniel wasn't stupid. He knew better than to relax immediately just because he was out of the school grounds, especially after what had happened barely two months ago. Nowhere was safe any more. There was never any escape. Things like this live with you always. How could he know if Henry would show up down the road or even at his house? Was he that mad? Would he do that?

He shook off the thought of his sadistic classmate. There was still a bit of a walk till he reached the small gathering of houses that made up the village he lived in, and he was better off focusing on something else.

The village wasn't an actual village, it was just one of many small communities scattered around Canterbury. It was definitely not the poorest part of town. Though not the very ideal place to live, many of the families here were well off thanks to their livestock and independent shops.

John and his wife had once qualified as a middle class working family and certainly had had a fair amount of money, like Hazel had mentioned. John still ran his studio, but he had been forced to close the store he had rented in the town centre. Emily had been a tailor. She used to sell her dresses and suits alongside John's furniture and sculptures. Daniel was just a small five-year-old boy. Emily became pregnant with Hazel, and John saw it as a blessing back then.

But then the financial crisis began; it started in London, and though it didn't seem significant to the high class, it escalated quickly out on the country. Canterbury's farmers and shopkeepers suffered greatly due to this. Daniel remembered vividly how John had changed his mind about the unborn embryo in a heartbeat. Emily fell ill and couldn't work. The tone changed completely. The shop in the city was closed.

_1823_

"_Don't tell me that you're ill again! It's that baby, isn't it?"_

"_John, it is no one's fault… It just happens once in a while when a woman is pregnant…"_

_Daniel pulled his cover up over his head. His parents probably thought that he was sleeping. How silly, how could anybody sleep with the noise they were making?_

_A low snarl, then a loud crash was heard, and John screamed. Emily let out a small wimp._

"_Oh, John! Did you hurt yourself? Please, be careful…"_

"_Of course I'm hurt, I rammed my hand into a bloody vase, Emily!"_

_Emily obviously tried to reason and take care of her husband's wound, but John was intractable. "Why is it always the children? I give them everything, and they let me down! Show no respect!"_

"_John, Daniel is doing his best… And this baby has not even had a chance yet…"_

"_**SHUT UP, EMILY!**"_

_Daniel winced on his mother's behalf. At least he didn't hear a slap. Father loved Mother a lot. He only hurt her when it was really necessary, that was what she always said._

_There was silence for a while before John spoke again, "We cannot afford it. We won't be able to live only on my income. This damned crisis..."_

"_I know, dear," Emily said softly, "I know… I will keep working…"_

"_You can't. You are ill."_

"_Surely I can fix together a couple of shirts and trousers for the gentlemen Thatcher and Burns, they were so generous-"_

"_That's final, Emily! Not another word!" One of the lanterns in the living room were put out. Suddenly John became alert, "What is this? Is the boy not sleeping?"_

_Daniel hiccuped in shock. He had forgotten to close the door completely!_

"_Daniel! You should be sleeping! How dare you disrespect my command?"_

_He knew it was too late to try and pretend to be asleep, his father already stood in the door frame. John swiftly walked over to the bedside table and reached for the lit lantern. Daniel sat up horrified and grabbed his father's arm, "Daddy, no!"_

"_Give me that lantern, you're wasting oil. You're too old to sleep with the lights on, Christ!__" John barked and pushed Daniel back in the bed. One fleeting second, and all was dark._

_The boy tried not to sob. There was no use in protesting. John marched out of the room again, slamming the door behind him. Muffled voices could still be heard on the other side._

"_John, he is but a child… And after the incident in the basement last month, it is no wonder he is still afraid!"_

"_He's a man! He should act like one!"_

"_But darling- !"_

"_We're **done**, Emily!"_

_And all went silent._

Finally the small stable on the outskirts of the village came into sight. It was empty. It was nothing unusual, the animals were in the pen at this time of day.

Daniel walked further into the streets, past several houses and a barn. There were not many people around; most of his classmates would already have gotten home by this time. A couple of children younger than him ran around in the large space qualifying as the plaza. Only a single worn out fountain filled the square, but the water was too dirty to drink. Everyone fetched water from the well a little bit further outside the village. He turned around a corner and hurried down a small street.

Something was off. It took him a little while to notice, but it was unmistakable – someone was following him.

Not just one, it was many. Suddenly his classmates started showing up; they ran out of their houses, going in the same direction as Daniel. Even a few younger children joined, and a lot of others he didn't know._ What is going on?_ he thought.

He picked up his pace and turned around the corner. Even though there still was a fair distance to his house from where he stood, he got a clear view of it – and the crowd right outside it.

Daniel halted and stared. Why were all his classmates gathered around his house? He ran the last bit over to the isolated small building. They seemed to be laughing a great deal and playing with something, throwing it in between each other...

His eyes widened. It was Hazel's teddy!

"Hey! Stop that, give it back!" he yelled and ran inside the middle of the assembly. The boy holding on to the toy just laughed and threw it right over Daniel's head to another boy standing nearby.

"Does Wilkinson want his teddy bear?"

Daniel turned around, only to be faced with Henry. He looked very amused. Daniel didn't have the patience for this. "It is not yours, Henry," he said in a low voice, "Give it back!"

Henry laughed, "Or else what, Danny? Are you going to beat me up? As if!"

Daniel felt sick. "Where is Hazel?"

"Your sister locked herself in, she was too scared to try and get her precious toy back. I guess cowardice runs in the family!"

Everyone laughed. Daniel fisted his hands, his blood boiling. "Don't talk about my sister like that!"

"Daniel, no empty threats are ever going to make you intimidating," Henry cackled. His swamp green eyes glinted mischievously in the sunlight. Every subtle comment was another challenge, an anticipation for Daniel to crack – pushing him to his limits, trying to get a reaction.

Another boy named Jonah bid in, "I bet his mother got into another man's bed! That is why Daddy hates baby sis so much!"

"She probably died of the cooties!" another one said, and the whole crowd laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

But it was not funny.

Daniel wanted to say something, but the boys started to push him back and forth. The girls stood further away, just watching the whole ordeal while they laughed as if it was some kind of show.

"So we know why his dad hates his sister so much… What excuse does Danny-boy himself have?" a boy, Daniel recognised as Sebastian from his class, said before giving another push. Sebastian was a regular member of the pack, Henry brought with him whenever he felt like terrorising Daniel.

"Just the simple reason that he's a weakling who cannot even take care of his own family," Henry said with a malicious grin plastered over his face.

That was it. Something snapped inside of him. Daniel took a swipe with his fist, but the boys moved away from him before he managed to hit anyone. Everyone gasped, obviously not having expected him to fight back – but Daniel wasn't done yet. He felt nothing but bitter rage. He wanted to show them all that he definitely wasn't a weakling.

He aimed for Henry. Henry quickly served Daniel a badly aimed punch; he must have still been recovering from the shock of the smaller boy's sudden outburst, for it was unlike Henry not to hit precisely. Daniel fell back onto the ground, completely disoriented from taking the blow. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears.

"You want to start a fight, Wilkinson?" Henry roared, "You want to start a _riot?" _The others cheered and started chanting Henry's name over and over again.

Daniel looked up at Henry through a blurred vision. He was bathing in his triumph. Everyone was clapping and cheering. A streak of blood ran down from the corner of Daniel's mouth over his chin. He wiped it with the back of his hand and slowly stood up.

The cheering subsided. Henry looked at Daniel again. "What now? You want more?" he said with a wry smile.

"You know," Daniel said without looking up from his feet, "You're one to talk about fornication."

Henry's smile vanished immediately. "What did you say?" He took a step forward.

"At least my mother was married," Daniel kicked a stone, "before giving birth to her children. Much unlike your own castaway and _disowned _mother."

For a moment there was silence. Electricity filled the air. No one made a sound. Breaths were being held.

Henry looked as if he had just seen a ghost. Then he charged.

"You little _**RAT!**__"_

Daniel dodged the attack, resulting in Henry falling onto the ground instead. This obviously didn't ease Henry's mood. Everyone had stopped cheering and chanting. They just stared in shock.

Henry tried desperately to hit Daniel again. "You have no idea what you're talking about! You know _NOTHING_ about me and Mum! _**NOTHING!**__"_

Daniel's heart was beating furiously. He had never seen Henry like this before. Tears streamed down his face – tears of rage. His anger had made him completely out of control of his emotions. _"YOU'RE A LIAR! A DIRTY LIAR! __**GO TO HELL!**__"_

One last time he jumped on Daniel, but a luckily placed kick made Henry scream in pain and curl up on the ground, clutching his groin. Everyone gasped.

Daniel stopped and stared, unable to believe what had just happened. He didn't know how he had been able to do that – it wasn't even his intention. It was pure instinct!

Henry just lay there, moaning. Daniel felt paralysed. What now? Was he supposed to claim victory by killing Henry? He couldn't do that! He had never imagined he'd ever actually _win _a fight against him. He wasn't prepared!

"Come on, Daniel, take him out!" someone yelled.

The others complied, and suddenly everyone began chanting again – this time, "Daniel! Daniel!" It was surreal.

Daniel grabbed a rock lying on the ground, a fairly large one. A drop of sweat ran down the side of his head. The other children cheered him on. His name voiced in a steadily rising pace, urging him to do it. _Am I really doing this?_ the young boy thought and struck his victim with a rock.

Henry let out a piercing scream, almost as agonised as the one Daniel had heard him cry out back when he had witnessed his mother abusing him. He regretted it immediately. _What have I done?_

"_**DANIEL!**__"_ a familiar voice roared.

There was no more cheering. Everyone fell silent. The man standing before them was not someone to mess around with. Daniel gulped, knowing that his father would not let this go unpunished.

* * *

He fell to the kitchen floor. Tears were beginning to well in his eyes as he received the first kick in his stomach. Hazel remained hidden, in fear she too would be punished.

"Do you know what I have to deal with now? That trashy lady is going to come after me because of you!"

The second kick made Daniel gasp for air. He coughed, trying to scramble away from his father, but his body let him down and he collapsed back onto the floor instead. John took a sip of his bottle. "You think that boy has anger problems? Imagine how mad his mother is!"

Hazel flinched when Daniel received another kick, holding on tightly to Mr. James. She wanted it to stop; it was her fault and she just let Daniel take the beating. But still she remained frozen in her spot behind the couch in the living room.

John started to unwrap his belt. "You cause nothing but trouble, you worthless brat! Why am I burdened with such a disrespectful child? _**You should have never been born!**__"_

An even more unbearable pain stroke across Daniel's shoulder blade and cheek. He let out a cry. The cut burned and a small drop of blood ran down the side of his face. John grabbed his arm and started to rip off his shirt. His heart sped up, fear coming over him. "No, Father!"

John didn't care about his son's pleading. It only took a moment before Daniel's back was bare and he was thrown back onto the floor. He didn't even have time to brace himself before the belt sliced through the air.

Hazel squeezed her eyes close as her brother's scream filled the house. She tried not to sob too loudly.

"Dad, please…" Daniel whimpered, tears streaming down his face as well as blood running down his back. John heard nothing. He continued to whip his son without mercy. He put all of his anger into each one of the lashes, not caring about the amount of pain and damage he brought upon the small boy.

Eventually his fury subsided and he lowered his arm. By this time, Daniel's back was completely smeared in blood. He squeezed himself up against the wall, covering his face and shaking uncontrollably. The man took a last sip of the bottle, pouring the rest over his son. Daniel's body stiffened as the liquid slid into the wounds on his back, and he let out a small sob.

"Drink, son," John said with a slurred voice, "It will make the pain go away."

Daniel didn't make a sound. He fisted his hands, not bothering to try and wipe his face. It felt like his back was on fire, and the alcohol did not reduce the pain one bit – quite the contrary.

John trudged over to the cupboard and grabbed another bottle. The whole reason why he had showed up at all was because he had run out of whisky, so he had gone home to stock up. "I should lock you up in the closet," John growled, "Or the basement. Else you'll just end up assaulting some other poor kid."

"Not the basement..." Daniel whispered. Indifferent grey eyes watched as the boy finally broke down completely, lying on the floor. John didn't say any more. He just walked out of the door, slamming it behind him.

Hazel was also crying. If only she could have done something. But Daniel had ushered her into hiding behind the couch as soon as he was thrown inside the living room, merely a moment before John had grabbed his arm and dragged him into the kitchen. She peeked out of her safe haven and moved over towards Daniel. She reached a hand out to grab his shoulder.

"Don't touch me."

She lowered her hand again and looked at him with tearful green eyes. Daniel didn't cry any more. He just drew in deep breaths, his shoulders rising and falling, shivering ever so slightly. Hazel couldn't bear it any longer. "I'm sorry, Danny," she sobbed.

There was a long pause. "Why … did you open the door …?"

She knew what he was referring to. "I... T-they asked if you were home... They told me that they were your friends…"

Daniel sat up slowly. He tried not to lean his back against the wall. "Hazel... I don't have any friends," he mumbled, "Not other than Serena. Don't trust other children..."

"I know, Danny, I'm sorry," she said, wiping the tears that wouldn't stop falling, "T-they took Mr. James, and look, they tore his belly!"

Hazel handed her teddy to Daniel and he examined it. There was indeed a tear in its stomach, but nothing too severe. It just needed a bit of sewing. "Don't worry, Hazel," he said, "I'll take care of it."

"But first you need to take care of yourself!" she exclaimed and stood up to get the first aid kit.

"And you need to be in your bed," Daniel said, moaning as he shifted into another position, "You're ill, remember?"

Hazel put her hands on her hips in an attempt to look authoritative. "Don't tell me you really think that my illness is more urgent than those cuts! Besides, I'm feeling fine today..."

Daniel gathered himself and stood up. "Just go to bed again, Hazel," he said and grabbed a towel from the closet in the kitchen, "I am going to shower."

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Hazel said, fidgeting with her braids. Daniel nodded with a gentle smile, before dragging himself out to the modest shower cabin at the back of the house. What he needed most right now was to wash away the shame.


	8. Things Kept Quiet

**A/N:** All right, here I am with the next chapter, like promised! Things are starting to get quite dramatic, haha. Thanks to all who has been reading along and supporting me! You're some amazing readers! :D

* * *

Just like John had foreseen, Henry's mother showed up to express her displeasure. It was not pretty. "Your son _savaged_ my boy!" the woman said and pointed an accusing finger at Daniel. He peeked out from his room, Hazel hiding behind him. "He should be locked up! He's clearly dangerous and a bad influence!"

"Get out, you crazy old hag!" John roared, "I've already punished him plenty! Maybe you should spend some time educating your own child instead of telling others how to do it, aye?"

She looked at him in disbelief, the anger obvious in her face. "Henry is greatly injured, you bastard! And you're telling me that _I_ need to bring up _my_ child?!"

"If he was a bit more of a man he would not have let himself get beaten up by my son! I'm not going to discipline him for defending himself, Eleanor!"

Henry's mother did not appreciate John addressing her by her first name. "How disrespectful! Your whole family is _deranged!"_

Daniel found it strangely funny how Eleanor allowed herself to declare his family deranged as she was barely even able to stand on her own two feet due to the alcohol abuse. The hunched back, thin hair and deformed face did not look very sober at all.

"I've had it with you! Go bother someone else!" John said. The veins in his neck were visible.

"This is not over, John! If that brat lays a hand on my baby again, I'll have him annihilated! I'm warning you!" Eleanor shouted furiously, making all kinds of violent gestures with her hands.

John dismissed her, "Yes, I think we all understood that! Thank you for stopping by!"

Eleanor continued yelling curses at Father, even after he had closed the door. Daniel was confident that at least five minutes passed before she finally gave up and went home. He still stood in the doorway to his room as John headed for his. When he started ascending the stairs, the boy peeped, "Thank you, Dad."

There was no reply.

Henry didn't show up in school for a week. Daniel hadn't even realised that the hit had been so critical. He had just aimed for Henry's head and he had hit the temple. Was it possible that he could have caused Henry brain damage? He didn't want to think about it, already feeling guilty enough as it was. His classmates didn't seem as worried, though.

"Daniel!" the other boys had yelled, "Come play with us!"

Daniel felt speechless, even a little nervous. He didn't know how he was supposed to handle this new fame that had come over him. "I-I can't," he told them, "I have to work." After a while of various excuses of chores and work, the children gave up and everything went back to normal. Daniel was invisible again, and he found that he liked it better that way.

Eventually Henry came back to school and he definitely wasn't happy about what had happened. Daniel was relieved to see that Henry was all right, but soon the relief was replaced with fear. Everyone in class could sense the anger radiating from the bigger boy. No one wanted to go near him aside from his usual pack. Already the first day Henry was back in school, he grabbed Daniel by his collar.

"I bet you feel really smart, huh?" he said. His voice was dripping acid. "Don't think that you're safe now. I won't forget this, Wilkinson."

Daniel did not feel neither smart nor safe. He was terrified. He already knew that Henry Bedloe wouldn't forget, he didn't feel the need to be reminded. If he thought that his place in school was bad now, it would certainly get even worse.

* * *

Summer was finally just around the corner. John was still working a lot without letting Daniel come with him. Daniel knew that he was still angry about the incident with Henry, even though it had been a few months now. He didn't blame him; he himself felt bad about it. If he was his own father, he also would be disappointed – though surely not as aggressive about it.

Daniel had worked until dinner time at the miller's. The sun was still up when he returned home. He walked in to find Hazel, not in her bed, but in the kitchen trying to prepare dinner. He nearly had a heart attack. "Hazel!" he exclaimed and ran to her, "Why are you not in bed? What do you think you're doing?"

Hazel seemed overwhelmed, but gave him an innocent smile, "I'm cooking dinner!"

Daniel frowned for a moment, then placed his hands on his hips. "Dinner? When did you learn to cook?"

"Please, Danny, let me do something!" she pleaded, folding her hands, "I never get to help out! I don't want to just lie around in bed all day, that's all I do! Look, I'm getting chubby!" She pinched her cheeks.

He couldn't help himself from laughing and sat down by the dinner table, "You've always looked like that, Hazel."

She gave him a look of disbelief, then crossed her arms with a pout. "You've always thought I've been fat?"

He shook his head, still chuckling. "You're missing the point. You need to recover from your illness."

Sadness draped her round face. "But it's boring…" She gave him her best puppy eyes, her lips pursed. How was Daniel supposed to resist that?

He thought about it for a while, then said with a gentle smile, "All right, you can help me out with dinner. I'm sure Dad will appreciate it."

Hazel lit up and clapped her hands. "You think so? I'll make a tasty dinner for Daddy!" she said and quickly turned around to continue what she was doing.

Daniel stopped her in her tracks. "But you're only going to do what I allow you to!" he said and took the knife she was about to grab.

She pouted, but complied. "All right, then!"

Hazel enjoyed herself a lot, Daniel could tell. She was chattering more than usual and that was saying a lot, considering that she didn't really have an outdoor life to talk about – but Daniel didn't mind. Nothing was better than seeing Hazel this elated. She was radiating, glowing, just like the morning star in the fairy tale. Maybe he could allow himself to forget that she had an illness just for a short while.

Daniel let Hazel wash the vegetables, but he would not let her near a knife or the stove, so there really wasn't much for her to do. She seasoned the meat and made sure herself that it tasted just as she thought it should. Nothing should be less than perfect. She had Daniel taste the beef. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that she had put too much salt in it, so he just forced a smile and told her that it was excellent. That happy expression on his sister's face was worth more than all the money in the world.

He never knew it would make such a difference to actually let Hazel out of her bed. Thinking about it, it really couldn't be healthy for her to be locked up like that. Maybe he should reconsider his method of caring for her. But then again, which other way could Daniel be sure that she was resting? He would just have to save these moments for whenever he had time to look after her. She wasn't going to have another seizure while he wasn't there to take care of it, that was for sure.

The dinner was ready within an hour. Hazel was proud of herself. Daniel made sure to feed her a lot of compliments to further increase her good mood. Now everything that was left to do was wait for their father to return home.

* * *

The sun had started to set by seven o'clock. John should have returned home by now, but he still hadn't showed up. The siblings had laid the table and sat silently around it with an empty seat between them. Almost an hour had passed and the conversation between them had stalled. Hazel asked for the third time, "When will father return home?"

Her big green eyes held an expectation that Daniel wasn't sure he could meet. He sighed, "I don't know, Hazel... But it should be any minute now."

She just nodded and returned her gaze to her plate. She started poking the vegetables with her fork.

Hazel wasn't so chatty any more. The glow she had emitted before had faded. Just an hour earlier she had been laughing and playing around with her older brother, but now she was quiet.

Daniel looked at her. "So... What have you been doing today?" he said.

"Nothing," she mumbled, "I'm not allowed to move out of my bed."

He paused shortly, considering what he had decided with himself earlier. "You can get out of your bed," he said, frowning, "Just ... don't move around too much."

Hazel didn't answer. She had her gaze fixed on her food. It had been forty minutes, and John hadn't come home. The food was getting cold.

Daniel knew why Hazel was so forlorn. She had finally done something useful, and John wasn't here to see it. He didn't return home to eat the food, she had gone out of her way to make for him. He wasn't there to appreciate her.

He hesitated for a bit, then said, "... Let's eat, Hazel..."

Hazel nodded silently and began digging into her beef. He wanted to console her, but he already knew that he wouldn't be able to. Hazel was fragile. Daniel might have learned to live with John's neglect, but he feared that she never would.

* * *

Serena had a lot to tell. As soon as she and Daniel saw each other again, she told him everything about the girls from her school that bullied her. Daniel hadn't expected her to be that miserable. The other girls taunted her, pulled her hair and called her all kinds of dirty names – they even shot nasty insults about her family not being English. Daniel could see why that would be very hurtful.

She had tried talking to her older sisters about it, but they had just told her that she needed to push through. Apparently they had had it just as hard, if not worse due to their fathers not being part of the aristocracy. At least Serena's father was a wealthy industrialist who held some kind of authority despite not being English.

Daniel had a hard time keeping track of Serena's large family. What he understood was that her mother was Chilean and she had immigrated to England some twenty years ago. She had had children with four different men, three of them whom she had been married to. Hilmar was the latest one, and he was an Icelandic businessman. He himself had two other children, who he had had with his last wife. She had died, and shortly after Magdalena Lawrence, formerly da Silva, and Hilmar Thórsson met.

She cried her heart out and Daniel felt stupid. He had urged her to tell him all about it and promised he would be there, but when she finally confided in him, he just felt awkward and didn't know what to say. He simply patted her shoulder. This didn't console the poor girl, it just made her crave even more of Daniel's attention. He complied, hoping that his presence could be of little comfort to his friend, so he stayed out of the house a lot. Luckily, John didn't notice as he himself was working most of the time, but it did affect one other person.

The sun was shining ever so brightly outside, just like it did every summer. Hazel sighed, wishing like so many times before that she could go outside and play with the other children in the village. She hated staying in bed all the time. It was boring. Summertime was always the worst because the weather was so lovely; it seemed to mock her. And then there was that other reason, the one she could never dream of admitting to – Daniel spent all his time with Serena at this time of the year, so Hazel almost never saw him.

She climbed out of bed and pulled a box out from under it. This was the place where Daniel kept all of his history books. She picked one of them and opened it. It was definitely more advanced than the fairytale books. There was more text and the words were longer and harder to read. Hazel got back into her bed with a deep frown planted on her face.

"A-an...cent... Egypt so-city..." she mumbled, trying to make sense of the title. She looked at Mr. James. He was sitting still beside her, just watching over her with a patient and kind expression on his face.

"Can you read this to me, Mr. James?" she asked, "It's too difficult!"

"Of course, Hazel, I'm always here to help you," he answered.

Hazel pouted. "That's not true."

Mr. James' smile disappeared and he gave her an apologetic look. She fixed her gaze on the book again. "Tell me a fairytale, Daniel."

Mr. James didn't answer. Hazel felt her eyes become watery and bit her lip. "You always forget about me now."

"I love you, Hazel," Mr. James said. He didn't move.

"I miss you, Daniel," Hazel sobbed. She wiped the tears away, but they wouldn't stop running. "I know you deserve to be happy. But I miss you. Mum is gone, and Daddy doesn't care about us. You're all I have. But you have forgotten about me." Her shoulders were shaking.

Mr. James didn't respond. He sat lifelessly beside her, just watching over her with that patient and kind expression.

This was the only way Hazel could vent out her emotions. She couldn't tell Daniel James Wilkinson how she felt, but she could scold Mr. James. He wouldn't get hurt.

* * *

The treetops in the Blean let in the sunlight, creating a warm and bright atmosphere. Daniel and Serena had placed themselves in the clearing on the soft grass. Daniel enjoyed this place. It was so peaceful and idyllic. He turned his gaze to Serena. She had been very quiet today. It was quite the change from how much she had been talking throughout the summer so far; she had told Daniel anything that she could think of, not holding anything back any more. Had she run out of things to say?

Daniel couldn't really tell if he minded or not. It wasn't so much annoying to him, as it would probably be to many others. This way she wouldn't notice that he didn't really have anything to say that would comfort her. But he had never believed Serena to be so caught up in herself, though. She hadn't even asked how Hazel was doing.

Serena raked up some straws from the ground. The silence wasn't comfortable. Daniel could tell that she was thinking about something, something that did not sit well with her. "What is wrong?" he asked.

She looked up at him with an expressionless face. "Nothing," she said, "Should we go into the city? It is boring out here."

Daniel frowned, not believing what he heard. "You know we can't do that, Serena. What if anyone sees us?"

"Why does it matter so much to you?" she scoffed and threw the straws back onto the grass rather aggressively, "Do you not want to be seen with me?"

He didn't know what to say. He would have thought that Serena would be more cautious about their meetings than him. "Surely you don't think that you're an embarrassment to me?" he said with wide eyes.

"It seems that I am!" she said, looking at him. "You always make such a big deal about us being seen together! Are you afraid that your friends from school are going to tease you because you're friends with a girl?"

"What? No!" Daniel blurted. This was getting really difficult. Why was she being so hostile?

"All right then," she said and looked away. She crossed her arms.

Daniel didn't feel comfortable. He had never experienced Serena like this. She used to seem so selfless and kind, but right now he didn't like the way she was behaving. He didn't want to fight with her. "Serena..." he said and put a hand on her shoulder, "Look at me."

She ignored his request, but he noticed her trembling as he touched her. He sighed and continued, "I did not mean it like that. I'm sorry."

"You just never talk to me," she said with a shaky voice.

Daniel tilted his head in confusion. "What? I have been talking to you all summer."

"That is not what I mean!" she exclaimed and turned towards the older boy again, "You always just listen! You never respond and you never tell me how you feel! I feel like I am confiding in some lifeless doll!"

Daniel remained silent. He felt tired.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I am sorry, too..." she whispered, "I feel like I am burdening you, and your silence is just further confirmation of that to me... It feels like you are ashamed of me or find me annoying..."

He instantly regretted the thoughts he had had about her just moments earlier. He never knew that his lack of response was the reason why she had become so sensitive. "I care about you, Serena. I would never feel ashamed of you. I was just trying to protect you."

Serena was quiet for a moment before she said, "Maybe you should not be so overprotective. It can make you blind to how the people you care about are feeling."

Daniel pondered what she said. How could he be blind to how she felt just because he wanted to protect her? He couldn't imagine how caring could cause harm. He didn't let her know that he dismissed her advice, though. "I'll remember."

Serena kept silent for a bit. Then she said, "It would also be nice if you would tell me what is on your mind once in a while."

"There is nothing to tell," Daniel said.

"I refuse to believe that you are just a blank slate, Daniel!" she said with a high voice, "I know you! You must be thinking about a lot of things. You always seem like you are lost in your own world."

Daniel started fidgeting with his shirt. "I believe I have always paid you a lot of attention, Miss Serena. It's some of an insult to me that you say I seem lost in my own world."

The change of the way he addressed her alarmed Serena. "Daniel, do not call me that. We are friends."

Daniel didn't answer. He didn't want to look at her.

"I am sorry, Daniel. I appreciate your attention. I know you are very patient. I just mean..." She trailed of, her voice getting thick again. "You don't open up to me..."

Those last words became nothing more than a whisper. Daniel still didn't look up. He kept his gaze fixed on his shirtsleeve.

Serena looked at him with tearful eyes. "Do you not want to be friends any more …?"

Daniel finally looked at the young girl again. He moistened his lips and said, "You are hurting me, Serena."

"I am sorry," she said, a single tear drop running down her face. Her brown eyes were sparkling somehow beautifully from the salt liquid.

He put his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. "I will never let you go. You are my friend." Serena broke down and cried into his shirt. It was a relief to the both of them.

* * *

The evening sun still offered a bit of warmth, but the winds were picking up. In the far distance of the meadow several hills could be seen waving their way through the landscape, and the sun lowering in the horizon filled the sky with pretty violet and orange colours.

Watching the sunset with Serena was one of the things Daniel enjoyed most about the summer. Sure, they had just had a fight, but they had made up again. He wanted to just forget about it, and he was positive that Serena felt the same way. She looked dreamily at the beautiful sight. "What are you thinking about, Daniel?" she said softly.

"That the sunset is very lovely."

She lay down in the grass and turned towards him. "Tell me why you always become so nervous when we watch the sunset together."

Daniel's jaw tightened. He thought that she hadn't noticed. He swallowed and looked at his hands. He had never told anyone. No one knew besides his sister and father. "I…" he said hesitant, "I am not very fond of the dark."

Serena gave him a weird look. "What do you mean?"

He took in a deep breath. This was harder than he thought it would be. He had never talked openly about it before. It felt like he was about to admit to something he had been denying to himself his whole life. "Something happened... And I became disturbed," he mumbled, "So I don't like the darkness any more."

Serena sat up beside him. "You mean that you are afraid of the dark?" she said with astonishment.

Daniel felt like a fool. Maybe it had been a bad idea after all. "If you put it that way..."

She didn't answer right away. The longer he waited for her to say something, the more anxious he grew. Did she think of him as a coward now? Would she laugh? Would she walk away? Daniel closed his eyes.

A whole minute passed before she spoke, "Then why do you always stay and watch the sunset with me?"

He shrugged. He didn't really feel like humiliating himself further.

Another pause, but then Serena put her arms around Daniel's neck. His eyes shot open in surprise. "It must be really hard," she said, "It means a lot to me."

Daniel remained stiff, trying to grasp the situation. She pulled back with a bright smile, "I am afraid of spiders!"

Daniel looked at her with wide eyes. He had not expected this kind of response. But suddenly it felt like something heavy had been lifted off of his chest. A small smile formed on his face. He quietly said, "Thanks." They both turned their gaze back to the sunset. Serena comfortingly put her hand over Daniel's, letting him know that she would be there when the darkness arrived.

A little distance away at the outskirts of the Blean, a curious someone was hiding behind a tree, observing the scene. They couldn't keep their secret forever.

* * *

John had run out of beer once again. He scowled; why did nothing about his life seem to work out? He didn't ask for much. He just wanted the pain killers, that was all. He fumbled in his pockets to find the keys. The artisan had gone home to stock up on his alcohol again. It didn't occur to him even once that he might not run out so fast if he didn't drink several bottles a day. That would be ludicrous to think!

He was about to open the door to his house as a voice stopped him, "Mr. Wilkinson! How nice to see you!"

John turned around, only to be met with the sight of his plump neighbour, Mrs. Phillips. Her round face was red, her hair was orange and her dress was burgundy. John couldn't stand such vibrant colours.

"Oh... Good day, Mrs. Phillips," John mumbled and turned to try and open the front door again – but Mrs. Phillips did not take the hint.

"How is the business? You rarely move out of your studio now, so I've heard. Is the demand high again?" she chortled and padded the big dog beside her on the head. To John it seemed like even the dog was tired of that sickeningly good mood.

John restrained himself and reluctantly said, "No, it is not."

Mrs. Phillips' smile disappeared and she gave him a sympathetic look, one that John found to be very infuriating. "Oh, it'll come, I'm sure! You have so many beautiful sculptures!"

"Yes, thank you," John said and tried to remove himself from the conversation, once again to no avail.

"By the way, I was wondering how your daughter is doing?" she continued, not noticing John's annoyance at all, "I haven't seen her around for a long time! She usually helps me out with my work on the farm, the sweet girl."

John looked at Mrs. Phillips with a frown. He hadn't known about Hazel helping out around the village. He always thought that she was completely useless. He gritted his teeth and mumbled, "I don't know."

He didn't give Mrs. Phillips the chance to answer this time. He opened the door rather aggressively and slammed it behind him. Mrs. Phillips looked at the door with wide eyes, surprised by John's manners. She knew that he was a tempered man, but this was very rude. He didn't even know about his own daughter's health!

* * *

Daniel spent his thirteenth birthday with Serena as per usual. She had cookies for him, but no books. She said that she had gotten into a lot of trouble last year because of money that had disappeared, so she wanted to be a bit more careful this time around. Unfortunately she had to leave early, so Daniel found himself walking home through the village before dinner time. He had a lot of cupcakes with him, though. Serena had given him the basket to share with Hazel.

As Daniel walked home, he reflected on his relationship with the upper class girl. It had somehow developed this summer. They had talked about intimate things, subjects Daniel had never touched on before. He felt that he was closer to her now, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He didn't want to give Serena the wrong impression. It seemed like she wanted to get closer to him. He appreciated her as a friend. He didn't want to ruin their friendship. Hopefully she didn't misunderstand his intentions.

The small house appeared in the distance. It didn't take Daniel long before he finally arrived home, and he put the keys in the lock and opened the door. He picked up on the choked rasps at once. He didn't even bother to kick off his boots – Daniel ran directly for the bedroom he shared with Hazel. He pushed open the door and was met with a horrifying sight.

Hazel lay on the floor, her whole body completely pale and her lips a violet colour. She grabbed onto her chest and stared at nothing, making rash and spastic movements with her limbs. She was choking, and a broken bottle of laudanum lay beside her while the ceramic inhaler was left on the bed.

And then there was the blood. The blood running down her chin. Her whole mouth was coloured in red, and there were stains all over the white nightgown. She looked like a ghost.

"_NO!"_ Daniel yelled and fell down to his knees beside his sister. He grabbed onto her waist and tried to pull her up. Hazel kept vomiting blood, and Daniel's white shirtsleeves were soon a deep red colour, too. He frantically reached under his bed for the box where the laudanum was stocked. He didn't have time to fetch a spoon, so he simply removed the lid and made Hazel drink directly from the bottle.

But Hazel's body resisted. Merely moments after she swallowed, she threw it all up again. Tears ran down her face. What was he going to do? If Hazel couldn't keep the laudanum down, he wasn't able to help her!

Daniel grabbed onto Hazel and carried her to her bed, giving her a cloth she could cough into. "Hazel, don't worry! Stay here!" he said panicked, his eyes blinking.

Hazel wasn't able to answer. This seizure was really serious. Daniel had never experienced the laudanum backfire like that. He couldn't do this alone.

He shot up to his feet and ran out the house towards the Canterbury town centre. He needed Doctor Tate.

* * *

Tate was still there when John returned home a couple of hours later.

Daniel knew that Doctor Tate would be in town; he had a schedule in Canterbury that lasted from mid July till early August. Through the years, Tate had grown quite fond of the lad and his efforts concerning his sister, so despite them not having a lot of money, he wanted to help the poor children as much as he could. He only spent a few minutes packing a bag with the most important medicinal instruments before following Daniel back to his house.

He had stopped the vomiting and choking, but Hazel was now crying hysterically and kept whimpering about how much pain she was in. It broke Daniel's heart. When he heard the front door burst open, his breath caught in his throat. He had managed to keep John from knowing about Doctor Tate, but what would he say now? What if he sent the physician away, yelling about not having money to pay for his services?

Hazel stopped sobbing. Dread was obvious in her face. Daniel knew that she was just as worried about how John would react as he was.

John noticed the commotion in the bedroom at once and walked in. "What is going on? Who are you?"

Tate stopped what he was doing. "I assume you must be the children's father. I am Doctor Tate," he said.

John glanced at Hazel, then at Daniel. "What happened?" he growled.

Daniel swallowed. "S-she had a seizure," he said quickly.

"A very serious one at that," Tate added and continued preparing his gear. Hazel strained herself not to cry. She stared at her father. The tears had dried her cheeks.

John said no more. He observed the Doctor for a while, then just walked in and sat down on Daniel's bed. Doctor Tate picked up a large jar from his bag. It was filled with something large and obsidian and dense looking. He also placed a small container beside Hazel on the bed.

Daniel noticed the liquid in the jar move. "What is that?" he asked.

"This will get rid of the bad blood," Tate said and started removing the lid, "It's a very time consuming procedure – and usually also very expensive. But I'll give you a discount." He grabbed some tweezers and reached into the jar. That was when Daniel realised that the contents of the jar wasn't a liquid.

Doctor Tate placed the animal onto Hazel's bare chest. She whimpered as it bit into her and began sucking. Blood started to trickle from underneath the leech. Tate placed the container so it would catch the blood.

Daniel looked at his father with doubt in his eyes. John didn't say anything. He simply observed the Doctor. He noticed Daniel's eyes on him and said, "Don't worry. This will be good for her."

The young boy felt shocked. He turned to stare at the bloodsucker again. Hazel grew tired. The marks on her chest slowly disappeared as her whole body paled. Less than an hour later she fell asleep.

* * *

"All right, Doctor," John said as Tate packed his things, "Tell us what is wrong with her."

The physician fixed his glasses. "Let's move out into the living room. We shouldn't disturb the patient." Daniel followed John and Doctor Tate out. He placed himself beside his father to hear what the Doctor had to say. Tate pondered for a while, seemingly in doubt about how he should say it. At last he decided on just putting it out on the table. "Your daughter is dying, Mr. Wilkinson."

The air suddenly became very cold. It felt like the blood in Daniel's veins turned to ice.

John didn't respond right away. "Are you sure?"

Doctor Tate sighed, "Her condition has become very critical. This was an extreme incident. Unless she starts getting treatment on a regular basis, I do not see her live to become an adult."

Daniel's jaw tightened. He fisted his hands.

"And how much is the regular treatment?" John said, though not sounding very hopeful.

"I can give you a discount, as I mentioned earlier," Tate said, "But she will not be able to get the treatment from me unless she is relocated to the London Infirmary, and that will also require a fixed expense."

"How much is it?" John repeated, his voice low. Daniel could tell he was losing his patience.

Doctor Tate remained silent for a moment. "Sixty-five pounds," he said, "A month."

Daniel's heart dropped all the way down to his stomach. They would never be able to pay for that.

John nodded. "Thank you, Doctor," he said. He followed Doctor Tate out of the door and closed it after him.

There was silence. John stood by the door, not bothering to look at his son.

Daniel stared at the front door for a moment. Then he turned around and went into his room, slamming the door behind him.


	9. Still Alive

**A/N:** Hey guys! So I'm back with a new chapter :D Daniel's life is only getting more and more complicated from this point... Oh dear, haha. I don't have much else to say than thanks to all of you once again for the amazing support you've given me, it means so much! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter, and I'll be back with another one in a week or so (=

* * *

The summer vacation was over with the blink of an eye. Daniel didn't tell Serena about Hazel's worsening condition. He knew that she would try to get him money, and he didn't want her to worry about that. She had her own problems.

He felt sad by the thought that he wouldn't be able to spend as much time with Serena next summer, as he would have to work a lot more at the miller's. He knew that it was hopeless, but he wanted to do as much as he could to save Hazel. He wouldn't give in without a fight.

Serena travelled back to London, and Daniel started school again. He couldn't get his mind off of Hazel. He was constantly worried that she might be dead when he returned home from school or work. He barely got any sleep, and as if Hazel's poor health wasn't a big enough problem in itself, he soon would have even more to worry about. Already the first day Daniel returned to school, he was met by a new complication.

Daniel didn't even notice Henry standing around the corner. As soon as he walked by, Henry grabbed him and pulled him into an empty classroom, closing the door behind them.

"Wilkinson," Henry said and closed in on Daniel with a vicious smile, "I know about your dirty little secret!"

"What secret?" Daniel said, pressing himself against one of the tables, "I haven't done anything!"

Henry just laughed. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"I really don't know what you are talking about," Daniel said and gave Henry a defiant look.

The older boy grabbed Daniel's arm and roared into his face, "Don't mess around with me. I saw you!"

"_What_ did you see?" Daniel yelled back, losing his patience. He was tired of being pushed around by Henry.

"I saw you holding hands with that girl!" said Henry furiously, "The girl from that rich family that visits Canterbury every summer!"

Daniel froze in his spot. "You don't know what you saw."

Henry began snickering again, almost maniacally this time. "You're fooling around with a girl of the aristocracy," he said, "It would be really bad if anyone found out."

"What do you want, Henry?" Daniel groaned, just wanting Henry to get to the point. Was this his revenge? He really hoped not.

"Finally we're getting somewhere," Henry rubbed his hands against each other, "Now, if you want me to keep quiet – and I'm pretty sure you do – I'll need you to do me some small favours."

This could not end well. Daniel gulped.

* * *

It couldn't be helped. Hazel was getting baptised, with or without John's blessing. Ever since Doctor Tate's treatment, Hazel hadn't done much other than sleep. Daniel did his best to keep her conscious as they walked to the Canterbury centre, hand in hand, but she was very weak. She barely noticed what was going on around her.

He normally didn't allow her out of the house, but he had gotten really worried now. He didn't want Hazel to be completely dead if she didn't survive this illness. He wanted her soul to live on with Christ. This was an emergency.

Hazel wasn't excited this time. Daniel hadn't told her that she was dying, but she knew herself. She could tell that the pain far exceeded what any other human being should feel on a regular basis. It felt serious. And the tension back home also was a give away.

Daniel looked down at his younger sister. She was quiet. He turned his gaze to the road and saw a coach come strolling towards them. "Look, Hazel," he said, "It's a carriage!"

Hazel only gave a bitter response, "I know, Danny, I have seen a carriage before."

He didn't say any more. Hazel's gloomy attitude wasn't making him feel better. He couldn't help but think that it was his fault that Hazel wouldn't grow up and lead a normal life, and that she was blaming him, too. He wasn't able to take care of her. He wasn't strong enough. He was weak.

Daniel bit his lip and tightened his grip around Hazel's hand. His inner demons were fighting. He forced them to stop. He would never let them win.

The Westgate came into sight and they walked over the bridge leading into the city. Once again, Daniel walked with Hazel directly down St. Peter's Street and went to the Buttermarket. This time he wasn't headed for Mrs. Bell's Treats and Sweets, though, but instead the building right across from it – Canterbury Cathedral.

Daniel and Hazel went through the church gate and walked the short distance to the entrance. Stepping inside they found themselves at the far end of the nave, looking towards the choir. It was Sunday, but people hadn't showed up for the service yet. It was still early. A few commoners could be seen sitting on the benches praying, while some tourists walked around, simply enjoying the architecture.

The Archbishop, William Howley stood by the choir, flipping through some pages in a thick book. Daniel moved towards him, determination in his steps. Hazel struggled to keep up with her older brother. "Excuse me, Bishop, sir," Daniel said as he got closer.

The elderly man turned towards the boy, confusion apparent in his face. "Good day, son," he said and gave Daniel a warm smile, "Can I help you?"

Daniel returned the smile, "We would like to have performed a christening."

Bishop Howley frowned and rubbed his chin, "Oh. When?"

"Now."

Howley's eyes widened. "Now?"

Daniel nodded. Hazel was distracted by the scenery. It was a really beautiful church. She vaguely remembered being inside of it before, but she must have been too young to get a clear image of it.

The Bishop closed his book and put a hand on his hip. "I don't think that will be possible. I am going to start the service in just half an hour."

"Can you not fit in just a small ceremony?" Daniel said and gave him a pleading look, "It won't take long!"

Howley considered it, then said, "Only if you are willing to have a public christening during the service. I cannot offer a big ceremony today."

"A public christening will be just fine!" the young boy said and nodded eagerly.

"Who is getting baptised?"

Daniel gestured to Hazel. Howley's eyes widened once again. "Has she not been christened yet?" Daniel shook his head. The Bishop nodded thoughtfully, "Then it's about time. I'll fix the ceremony for you."

Daniel smiled, "Thank you, Bishop!"

* * *

By the time the service started, the church was filled with people. Daniel and Hazel sat on the front row, so that they could easily walk up to the altar when it was time for the baptism. Hazel looked around the church. A lot of people she hadn't seen before were present. It wasn't that unusual as she hadn't been out of the house a lot, so she didn't know many of the citizens in Canterbury.

Daniel noticed Hazel's curiosity. He whispered, "Do you know what you are going to pray for?"

Hazel looked up at Daniel. She shook her head.

"I want you to think really good about it," he said, "Not all prayers are fulfilled, but if the Lord finds yours to be meaningful enough, he will grant your wish."

Hazel gazed upon her brother, then looked up towards the altar again. "I know what I'm going to pray for."

Daniel tilted his head. "Really? What is it, then?"

She giggled, "I'm not going to tell you! Then it won't work!"

The older boy laughed and shook his head. He couldn't argue with that logic.

The service dragged on for a good forty minutes before the Bishop called Daniel and Hazel up to the altar. Daniel helped Hazel onto her feet; she had gotten some difficulties walking as of late. She blamed it on her lying in bed all day. She looked out at the many people sitting on the benches. The nave was long and the loft high. It all seemed very surreal to her.

"We are gathered here today to baptise and christen this child, the daughter of John Wilkinson and Emily James, and to recognise that she is the child of God," the Bishop spoke and brought Hazel closer to the small container filled with the holy water. She glanced at Daniel. He just nodded with a gentle smile.

Howley turned towards Daniel, "What name shall be given to this child?"

"Hazel Emily Wilkinson," Daniel said without hesitation.

The Bishop held a long speech, asking Daniel once in a while if he agreed to the conditions. When asked about godparents, Daniel told him that he was going to care for her if anything happened to their father. He already was – he didn't say that out loud, though. After the long ordeal, the Bishop turned towards the container and Hazel ducked her head. "I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

After the ceremony, Daniel and Hazel went back down the nave headed for the church exit, as Daniel suddenly overheard a conversation.

"Ah, Mrs. Evans! Have you come to visit the grave of your late husband?"

Daniel turned around. He saw a tall woman in a long, black dress talk to Archbishop William Howley. A black veil covered the widow's face. "Yes, I thought I should bring him some flowers. The man was more fond of them than me."

Her voice was dry and she dragged on every syllable with a snarl. The Bishop laughed, but Mrs. Evans didn't. She turned around and looked at Daniel. Her glare could have turned the bravest of men to stone, even through the veil.

Daniel jumped a bit and immediately fled the scene with Hazel in hand. He was completely sure that she was the same woman he had heard the rumours of barely one year ago.

* * *

_My dearest Daniel,_

_You are right about the museums. You should come here, you would love them. I went to a public exhibition surrounding the Vikings yesterday. Father told me I had to learn about my legacy. It was really interesting._

_Sometimes this place is nice. I live close to Jess and Regina, so I usually go to visit them after school. Mother said it is fine as long as I am chaperoned by the governess. Yesterday we spent the whole evening reading the Juvenilia. It was very amusing. We made sketches out of the tales. Even their stepsister Natasha joined us!_

_But that does not mean that it has gotten easier. I try not to make myself noticed in class, but I still hear them talking. And the professors always ask me why I do not go out and play with the others. I usually sneak up to the hallways where the older classes reside. Miss Mary sometimes fancies playing with me, but only once in a while._

_I do not think I am fit for this life. I cannot blend in. I know my parents are disappointed. I am probably the biggest disappointment of their lives. I might as well have never been born._

_I apologise for being so depressing, I know that you must find it very tiring. I just wish I could be as strong as you, Daniel. I hope you are doing well. Send Hazel my best regards._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Serena da Silva_

One single sentence from Serena's letter kept echoing in Daniel's head.

_I might as well have never been born._

Her voice resounding, clearly, clear as crystal.

_**Never been born.**_

That was not how she was supposed to feel. No one was supposed to feel like that, and definitely not Serena. He sat on his bed, trying his hardest to resist biting his nails. _Never ... born..._

Hazel was asleep again. She slept during the most of the day. Ever since Doctor Tate's special treatment, she had been very fatigued. But she hadn't had a seizure since then, so it must have been working.

Daniel didn't know how to respond to Serena. He couldn't comfort her. He felt useless. If he was in London, he could be there for her like he was for Hazel – but he wasn't. He gritted his teeth, feeling the inner demons churning. _Someday, I'll be able to protect you too, Serena._

* * *

Crash. Finally the sculpture shattered.

"_**God dammit!**"_ Daniel held his breath and kept still behind the worktable. John aggressively put the hammer and chisel on the desk and hit his fist against it. "Bloody hell!"

It had only been a matter of time. With the way John had cut hard into the stone, it never could've managed to withstand the violent strokes. Now the surface of the horse's left flank was broken.

The young boy remained hidden, just listening. He heard John cursing at himself and continue slamming his fist against the table a couple of times, but after a while the cursing turned to mumbling. "Not … good enough... Hopeless..."

Daniel peeked up from behind the worktable. John had his back turned against him, standing by the other desk across the room. Everything was eerily silent. He reached his hand up on the table to grab the smaller hammer, but he stopped in his tracks as he noticed something odd – John's shoulders were trembling. He frowned.

"Why... Why did you have to go …?" John whispered, "Emily..."

Daniel's heart sank all the way down to his stomach. He stared with wide eyes at his crying father. The man who had always said that real men did not weep. And somehow, it was one of the most awful things Daniel had ever witnessed.

He swallowed a lump in his throat, trying to suppress the nagging feeling of guilt. He took the hammer and silently made his way to the door again, giving his father some privacy.

John kept crying, eventually breaking completely down. He fell to his knees.

* * *

Hazel sat by the windowsill. The weather was lovely today, very unseasonable though it was obvious that autumn had settled in. The trees right outside Hazel's room had lost several of their leaves. Instead, they lay in a big pile of orange and yellow colours right underneath the window.

She sighed. _How fun it could be to jump into the pile._

Suddenly she caught sight of a nice elderly lady walking around with a big dog. "Mrs. Phillips!" she yelled and waved excitedly.

Mrs. Phillips lifted her eyebrows, but then smiled and waved back at Hazel. The bloodhound ran over to the window and jumped right into the pile in an attempt to reach Hazel and lick her cheek. She laughed. "Calm down, Rufus!"

"Hazel, my darling!" Mrs. Phillips said as she took a firm grip around Rufus' collar, "How do you do?"

Hazel pursed her lips, considering what she was going to tell the nice lady. "I'm fine," she said, "What about you, Mrs. Phillips? Has Elizabeth foaled yet?"

Mrs. Phillips chuckled. "She did this summer. Now she has a beautiful little baby boy. Mr. Phillips wants to make a real premium stallion out of it, I tell you!"

Hazel gaped at her, "Oh, Daniel should have it! He needs a good horse!"

"When he might come of age and height," Mrs. Phillips said, "If he truly is his father's son, he will without a doubt grow into a tall young man!"

"He's not very tall now," Hazel giggled while rubbing Rufus behind his ear. The dog was ecstatic.

Mrs. Phillips chortled in response. "No, so far he looks more like his mother," she said, "Anyhow... How are you feeling, Hazel? Is the illness bothering you?"

Hazel's smile disappeared and she averted her gaze. "It's not that bad," she mumbled.

But she didn't fool Mrs. Phillips' keen eye. "What happened, Hazel?" she said.

Hazel sighed, "Well... I had a seizure in the summer... And I had a special treatment done because it was really severe. But I haven't experienced any seizures since then!" She nodded eagerly.

Mrs. Phillips gave Hazel a gentle and sympathetic smile. "Is that why you haven't been out? Are Daniel and your father keeping you at home?"

"Daniel is," Hazel said with bitterness. She was getting annoyed with her older brother. He kept her locked in at all times without her being able to have any fun, while he just ran out and fooled around with rich girls. It wasn't fair!

"Now, don't sulk! He is just trying to take care of you, sweetheart," Mrs. Phillips said and poked Hazel's nose.

Hazel giggled and sat up straight. "I won't, Mrs. Phillips! I'm just bored."

Again Mrs. Phillips gave her that compassionate look. "I guess you won't be able to help me out with Elizabeth and the foal today, am I right?"

Hazel reluctantly shook her head, "I guess not..."

Rufus looked up at Mrs. Phillips. She seemed to be as sad about the circumstances as Hazel. "Oh well, then," she said, "Take care of yourself, Hazel. And tell Daniel and your father I said hi!"

"Thanks, you too, Mrs. Phillips," Hazel said and waved after the plump lady and her big dog. She sighed.

* * *

The weather wasn't as harsh this December as it had been the past couple of years, but it began to snow midway through the month, just before Hazel's birthday as per usual, and soon the whole of England was covered in a white blanket. Daniel had asked for a shorter shift at the mill so he could return home early and celebrate Hazel. It was a surprise, so she hadn't been expecting it. She was very happy to see him.

Daniel allowed Hazel out into the front yard just this one day. He made sure that she was wearing a lot of warm clothes so she wouldn't catch a cold, and afterwards they spent several hours building snow men and making snow angels. Hazel tried to pick a snowball fight with Daniel, but he said that she shouldn't run around too much.

John had stayed home the whole day and slept. It was no wonder. He had been up more nights than Daniel could count, working in the studio till he dropped with fatigue. After what Daniel had seen the last time he was there, he finally knew why his father spent so much time alone.

It had been almost five months since Hazel had had a seizure, the last one being on Daniel's birthday. He felt hopeful. Doctor Tate had really helped a lot.

"Danny, we need something for the snowman's nose," Hazel said. She clapped her hands.

Daniel looked around, then picked up a small pebble and put it in the middle of the snowman's face. "There you go, Mr. Snow," he said satisfied.

Hazel giggled. "Really, that was rather poor, Daniel."

"Now, don't you give me any cheek," he laughed and made a move to chase her, "or I'll come after you!"

"You can't! It's my birthday!" Hazel gasped.

"Do you think the big bad brother is going to care about that?" He gave her a playful smile.

Hazel screamed and began running. Daniel set after her. It did not take long before he caught her around the waist and they both fell down into the snow, laughing. "You're bad! You cheated!" Hazel said, though still grinning.

"I did not cheat," Daniel chuckled, "My legs have just gotten longer." They both continued laughing for a little while before calming down and just staring up at the sky. It was completely white.

"Happy birthday, Hazel."

"Thank you, Danny."

* * *

John had been awake for about half an hour. He looked out the window from his bedroom. His son and daughter were playing outside and having a good time, so it seemed. It was Hazel's birthday today. John never forgot, for this was also the day Emily had died seven years ago.

He observed the scene. He never understood how the siblings had become so attached to one another. Probably because they never had known Emily like he had. They couldn't see how miserable the world was without her.

John frowned. Something was happening.

Hazel sat up and leaned forward. Daniel also sat up and patted her back, looking at her confused. All of a sudden the white snow turned red. The young boy shot up to his feet in a haste.

It had been five months, but now it was happening again. John fisted his hands. Would it ever have an end?

* * *

"No, no, no, no..." Daniel mumbled as he lifted Hazel up from the ground and carried her towards the front door, "Hazel, stay with me!"

Hazel's vision was a blur. She only heard Daniel's muffled voice and a piercing timbre in her ears. Her whole body ached, especially her chest.

Daniel was about to kick open the door, but it opened from the other side.

"Hurry, let me take her," John said and reached for Hazel. Daniel nodded obediently with wide eyes and let John carry her to the couch. While he took care of Hazel, Daniel ran to fetch the laudanum. He didn't understand what was going on with his father. He never cared about Hazel before. Why suddenly now?

Daniel shook his head and grabbed a spoon from the drawer in the kitchen. He couldn't be bothered to think about that right now. When Daniel came back into the living room and started filling the spoon with the medicine, John said, "Doctor Tate is not in town, right?"

The artisan's son shook his head. "No, he's only here when on schedule."

Hazel's seizure wasn't too bad. She was not choking. It had started with a bit of vomiting, but now she was just coughing up blood and slime. Daniel tried to feed her the spoon, but Hazel resisted once again and threw it up. "Oh no, Hazel!" Daniel said panicked, and tried to fill the spoon again.

"Don't feed it to her," John growled, "Here, use this cloth." He handed Daniel a handkerchief.

Daniel shot it a confused glance. "But … how …?"

"Let me do it." John took the laudanum and emptied some of it onto the cloth. Then he pressed it against Hazel's nose and mouth. Hazel frowned, but soon her eyes became drowsy and she relaxed. A couple more seconds and she was asleep.

Daniel stared. He hadn't thought about that method. He didn't know that laudanum could be used like that.

John removed his large hand from Hazel's face and observed her for a while with his usual gloomy expression. Then he stood up and moved to put on his boots and jacket. Daniel didn't know where he would go, but he had a feeling. "Thanks, Dad," he managed to say before the slamming of the door.

There was silence in the house for a while. Then he added, "Tell Mother I said hi."


	10. Becoming of Men

**A/N:** Yay, this time I'm not delayed, woohoo! I'm back with another chapter, and finally our characters are growing up a bit :D I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! Thanks again for all the support, it's been awesome getting such great response on my very first story on here! Next chapter should be up in about a week or so, as usual :D

**WARNING:** Slight mention of sexual content.

* * *

The sound of metal and wood crashing against each other echoed through the woods. The path was covered in snow, making it hard for Daniel to push forward through the already thick vegetation that was hidden underneath. He had gathered a small collection of tools – without his father's knowledge, of course. John wouldn't appreciate his son lending his precious hammers and screwdrivers. So Daniel stole them instead.

He wandered in the northern direction of the Blean. It wouldn't be long till he reached the agreed-upon destination. Everything had been planned out perfectly; not a soul was allowed to know, so it had to be somewhere distant from the village.

Daniel finally saw the broad blonde boy appear between the trees. He felt shivers run down his spine, which he wasn't sure if was due to the biting cold or the nervousness nagging at him, but he kept going. "Wilkinson," Henry said with a wry smile, "Thought you'd never show up."

"I've got the tools, Henry," Daniel said and lifted the box he carried, "Now what?"

"Here, let me see." He reached for the toolbox. Daniel reluctantly gave it to him, worried that Henry might draw the hammer from it and beat him to death. Fortunately that wasn't the case. At least Henry wasn't _that_ mad.

"Hmm..." Henry scrambled through the box for a while, then closed the lid and gave it back to Daniel, "That'll work." He turned around and gestured with his arms in a wide circle. "What do you think?"

Daniel put down the toolbox and looked around, confusion building up within him. There was nothing but a small space between a couple of trees. "Think about what?"

"The place!" Henry said, as if it were obvious, "There are no bushes or branches in the way! Isn't it just perfect?"

"Yes, very," Daniel nodded, hoping that if he just agreed to whatever crazy idea Henry had, he would get him off his back soon.

Henry grabbed Daniel's shoulder, a bit too firmly for Daniel's liking, and brought himself closer to the smaller boy, "Do you know what it's for?"

Daniel gulped and shook his head, while Henry continued to put his arm around his shoulders. "We're going to build our own little clubhouse!" Henry said enthusiastically.

Daniel's eyes were as wide as teacups. "We are?"

"And by 'ours', I mean 'mine'," Henry continued while nodding satisfied, "And by 'we', of course I mean _you_."

It took Daniel a while to realise what Henry was actually saying. Suddenly he felt very uncomfortable. Henry laughed as he wriggled out of his hold. "No! I cannot do that!"

Henry was very amused. "Why not? It's my birthday! It's only fair you make me a present!"

"Because I am simply not able to! I can't build a house, I can barely even build a piece of furniture!" Daniel exclaimed, rather upset that Henry would actually expect him to build something for him. He couldn't care less if it was the boy's birthday, he wasn't his slave!

"Well, Wilkinson," Henry said and picked up the toolbox from the ground, "Then you better learn it – and learn it fast." He gave it back to Daniel with a push so hard it made him take a step back. Daniel sent a glare to the back of Henry's head as the sadistic boy walked away, laughing so loudly it could be heard throughout the Blean.

_Fourteen years old, and still as malicious as ever_, he thought bitterly.

* * *

Daniel really tried, but he accomplished nothing but a lot of bruises and injuries over the course of January. He had spent several hours up at night trying to sketch a blueprint for Henry – which Henry made him do over and over again because he never was quite satisfied with it – and had even built a very unstable model of it, but none of that seemed to help with the actual construction the slightest.

It didn't really get him anywhere, and Daniel knew. He wanted to just give up on the project and tell Henry that he couldn't do it, but he was too scared. What if Henry told Daniel's father about Serena? In fact he couldn't even trust Henry to keep quiet, even if he did build him a haunt. But he had to do something; he couldn't just sit back and let Henry blabber on about his secret friend to the whole of Canterbury.

So it had to come to this. Daniel had somehow known it right from the beginning, but he had tried his hardest to find another way, since he really didn't want to move out on such dangerous tides. But it couldn't be helped, and after a month's worth of attempts at building the clubhouse, Daniel had to admit it to himself.

He needed his father's expertise.

Daniel gathered himself and took a deep breath, just like he always did when about to talk to his father. It was like going into a lion's den; one could never be sure if they would get out alive. It was late in the evening. The snow outside became deeper and deeper. Everything had been peaceful, but the citizens of Canterbury suspected that it was merely the calm before the storm. A blizzard would probably show itself sooner or later.

Father had come home two hours ago. He had gone straight up to his room after eating the dinner, Daniel had made for him – that had gotten cold one hour earlier. Everything had been silent since then. Hazel was sleeping. Daniel moistened his lips and knocked on the door.

Nothing. There was no answer at first. He tried again.

"What?"

The low grumble was so sudden it made Daniel hiccup. He put a hand over his mouth and frowned, but then shook his head and put his hand on the door knob. He swallowed hard and turned it, cautiously peeking inside. His father was sitting by the desk with a bottle of scotch and some documents he was reading through, apparently. Daniel had no idea what they were about. John turned to look at the door. "What is it? Is she having another heart attack?" he mumbled annoyed.

Daniel fisted his hands. He really didn't like it when his father talked about Hazel like that. When he acted like he was bothered by her. He could be so careless at times. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. "No, she's asleep... I-I wanted to ask you something."

John stopped moving for a second, then put his documents back on the desk and turned completely towards Daniel. "What is it?"

The boy felt uncomfortable. He really just wanted to get it over with, but it was hard to say anything because he feared that he might push the wrong buttons. "I… I was wondering … if you could start tutoring me," he mumbled, "in building. Furniture and the likes."

There was a long pause. John looked at Daniel for a good while. He wasn't able to see what his father was thinking. His face was completely expressionless. He just kept staring. "Tutoring you?" John finally said and started rubbing his chin.

Daniel nodded frantically. He really wanted to escape this scene now. He felt nervous.

The broad man leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his scotch. He let out a heavy sigh and started tapping the armrest. He looked at his son with a calculative eye that made the boy feel even smaller still. At last he spoke, "Are you really up for it, son?"

Daniel tilted his head in confusion. He suddenly didn't feel as nervous any more, as if the lump in his throat had been a large plug that had finally been removed, letting all the tension seep out. Something had changed. Something in his father's eyes. He pondered it a bit, then realised that he should probably answer before his old man would grow too impatient. "Yes, Father."

John nodded and looked away, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. He was silent for a small while, then he turned towards his desk again and reached for the documents. "We start tomorrow at four o'clock sharp. No excuses. Don't be late."

Daniel's eyes widened. For a minute he didn't know how to respond. John looked at his son again. "Now, what are you waiting for? Get to bed, you need to be fresh for school and work tomorrow. Shoo!" He waved his son away with a single hand gesture.

The words finally set in. Daniel quickly shook his head, then nodded eagerly. "Yes! Of course. Goodnight, Father!" He closed the door behind him and ran back down to his room. In the master bedroom, John found himself doing something he hadn't done in years; he tucked on the corner of his lips.

* * *

Something about the way John ordered Daniel around seemed different. It was not as harsh, somehow. Still strict, very strict, but there was no biting. No nagging. Not as much as before, at least. John was a hard man to please and had always been, but for the first time in all of Daniel's life, the man actually seemed to recognize his efforts. Things were definitely changing. Daniel didn't know what to think of it. It all seemed too surreal.

But with the amount of shifts he had at the miller's, he would never be able to spend enough time with his father in the studio to actually learn something. He had to balance out his time. Of course money was important, but so was Henry's project. If Daniel didn't start it soon, he might tell on him. And that would put both Daniel and Serena in a pickle. He couldn't have that.

Besides, if Daniel started to craft furniture alongside his father, they might end up selling even more. That would mean a lot more money than Daniel could ever hope to make at the miller's. And that meant a lot more money for Hazel's treatment. They might even be able to transfer her to the London Infirmary!

So it wasn't a hard decision to make. Daniel felt light as he walked the path by the Great Stour river leading to the mill. Everything seemed to be working out.

It didn't take him long till he reached his workplace. He had no shift today, so a couple of the other workers were surprised to see him. When they asked, Daniel told them that he was going to talk to the miller. Conveniently enough the miller's name was Miller. His family had owned this mill for at least a century. It was still running efficiently.

Mr. Miller was in his office looking over some documents. He was probably planning the production and when the next batch of flour and corn should be sent into town. He looked up as Daniel knocked on the door. "Ah, Daniel! What are you doing here? I don't have a shift for you today."

"I actually came to talk about my shifts, sir," Daniel said and gave a humble bow of his head, "I need to cut down on them."

Miller lifted his bushy eyebrows. He was a plump man who didn't look to be someone that did hours of hard labour every day. The dirt and sweat gave it away, though. "I see," he said and nodded, "That is actually very convenient. I was thinking about starting my son's training soon. With fewer shifts for you, there's more for him to do."

Daniel smiled and bowed again. "I'm glad that my absence won't be a bother to you, sir," he said.

Miller turned to his desk and scrambled the drawers for another document. It didn't take him long to find it. "So, how many hours shall I cut?"

"Ten hours would be a big help, sir," Daniel said, still standing straight in his spot.

The miller looked at Daniel with a thoughtful look, then smiled so that the whole of his thick moustache became skew on his face, and chuckled. "I'll cut fifteen hours."

Daniel opened his mouth in surprise. "Fifteen?"

"You're a good boy, Mr. Wilkinson," Miller said and turned towards Daniel again, "Now bugger off. I have work to do. I'll see you again on Tuesday."

The young boy stood for a bit to let the words sink in. Everyone around him seemed to be so nice all of a sudden. He was not quite used to it, but eventually he let himself enjoy the good things that were happening. He gave his boss a bright smile and said his gratitudes, then ran off home so that he could meet with his father.

Everything was finally working out. John had agreed to tutoring him. He was able to keep his friendship with Serena a secret. And even though Doctor Tate had said that Hazel was dying, she was doing a lot better now after the treatment. _You're not going to die, Hazel_, Daniel thought as he walked home, _I'm not going to let you._

The weather did not seem as grey any more. The world did not seem as bad.

* * *

The clubhouse really was coming along nicely. Henry couldn't deny that.

He had never actually expected Daniel to fulfil his crazy demands. He didn't really need the house anyway, he just wanted to hold it against Daniel. He waited for him to give up on it and come pleading back to him, but right now that didn't seem likely of happening.

Henry walked around the small unfinished building. There was no roof yet. Only one of the walls were actually finished. The structure was a bit shabby, but it was definitely a lot better than what he could have managed to build himself.

Daniel stood and watched Henry examine the process, like he did once every month. Henry kept an eye on him. He seemed to be lost in his own world, not really caring much about Henry's examination.

While Daniel looked away, Henry pulled one of the nails loose. The younger boy didn't notice.

"It's decent," Henry said, "Keep it up."

Daniel nodded and followed Henry back out of the forest, completely unaware that Henry had just delayed his work.

* * *

The months went by swiftly. There had been a blizzard, just like everyone had foreseen, but Daniel had with his father prepared the house for it. None of them suffered from the cold, not even Hazel who had become much more sensitive to it.

In March the snow had almost melted. Daniel had finally gotten started on his construction of the club – under the supervision of Henry, of course – and he was nearly finished with the foundation. With the ever growing bond between Daniel and John, it became easier to access the necessary tools and materials for building without any questioning or objections. So far everything had worked out smoothly. Daniel really couldn't complain. He liked things this way. It wasn't until he woke in the middle of the night midway through the month that he started to worry.

Actually, it wasn't so much worry as it was confusion and embarrassment. He didn't really know what had awoken him in the first place.

Daniel opened one eye and tried to focus. The lantern's light had grown dull. Hazel was sound asleep. He sat up in his bed, wondering for a second why he was awake. Then he remembered that he had felt something. He stiffened and reached a hand under his quilt. His stomach turned as he felt the moist.

The boy immediately jumped out of his bed, disgusted by himself. How could this happen? He wasn't a baby any more! He had not wetted his bed since he was three years old!

He quickly changed his underwear. As he was about to throw it into the laundry basket, he noticed something strange about the shorts. They were not as sodden as they should have been. He reluctantly felt the area. It felt … sticky.

Daniel frowned. He was pretty sure that that was not the feeling of the bodily fluid he had thought of at first. He threw the underwear into the laundry basket and went to change the linen. As he removed the fabric from the bed, he tried sniffing the moist area. It didn't smell the right way either. In fact, it didn't really smell at all. It was all very strange.

Daniel went to sleep again, feeling very confused. Little did he know that he was in the process of becoming a man.

* * *

Daniel and John left early in the morning. It was Sunday, so there was no school for Hazel's older brother. She sat at home, reading like she usually did. There was not much else for her to do, and Daniel had told her to practice whenever she could. She was really becoming quite good at it.

_The shoe fitted perfectly, and Cinderella and her prince lived happily ever after_, Hazel read. She closed the fairytale book with a sigh. She felt tired. For a minute she wondered if she should try to sleep, but then again, she almost did nothing but that. She knew that Doctor Tate had told her to rest, but it really couldn't be healthy to rest that much!

She moved to get out of bed and fetch another fairytale book, but she stopped in her tracks. Something was off. Hazel was all too familiar with this feeling.

The small girl reached for her inhaler; Daniel had filled it with hot water before he went to the studio with their father. She brought a hand to her chest, taking some deep breaths like her brother had told her to. It didn't help.

Something within her stung, and she grasped tightly onto her nightgown. It felt like something was twitching her heart, clutching it tightly, keeping it from beating. Hazel got tears in her eyes. Daniel wasn't home. The fear was crippling. Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe. This was when she started to cough, her throat sore and her lungs bleeding. She threw the inhaler on her bed and put a hand over her mouth. The hand was soon covered in red slime.

Hazel knew that she had to do something herself. She couldn't rely on Daniel now. She managed to get out of her bed and fell on her knees to the floor. She reached for the box of laudanum. At least this seizure didn't feel as painful as many others, she had had. She grabbed a bottle and reached for the cloth that hung on her bedpost. Daniel had told her that if there wasn't time to fetch a spoon, this method would be much more effective.

The liquid soaked the cloth, and she immediately brought it to her mouth and nose. She tried breathing in heavily through the coughing, but she found that it didn't work. She panicked and put even more laudanum on it, desperately trying to seize the pain. The stench of the medicine was very strong. She brought the cloth to her face again, and almost immediately she felt dizzy.

Hazel got up on her feet with more than a little difficulty and lay down on the bed again. The room was spinning. She didn't notice the sting in her chest any more. It only took a couple of seconds, then she was out.

* * *

Hours had passed since morning, but apparently there was to be no sun today. The sky was grey with clouds, so Daniel guessed there was no point in wishing to be anywhere else but the studio. He turned his attention from the birds flying outside the window to what his father was preparing. Wood lay scattered on the floor; Daniel were to turn them into a table with the help of John.

"So you see, son," John said, "Woodcarving is not an easy task. It requires the finest and most delicate strokes of precision, else you are bound to fail. One slip and the whole furniture is ruined! Understand?"

Daniel nodded. Even if he hadn't been as aggressive or violent in a long while; when it came to John Wilkinson, the better choice would always be to nod, no matter what.

"Good," the man continued, picking up some pieces of wood, "Now, I'd like you to grind these four pieces into shape; they're going to contribute as table legs. Afterwards, I will show you how to handle the carving." There was no objection from Daniel's side. He just accepted the wood and went to grind them as he was told.

John seemed to think that being Daniel's mentor was the best idea his son had ever gotten. Though the man never got excited, there was a significant change in his behaviour. He taught Daniel how to carve, build and assemble different kinds of furniture and tools. Daniel shouldn't only be helping out in the studio any more, he now had as much responsibility for creating products as his father.

Daniel didn't mind. He hadn't initially thought that spending more time with his father would be the very ideal occupation for him, but it had turned out to be about so much more than acquiring the necessary experience to build Henry's clubhouse. He tried not to be too obvious about it, but he was elated. Especially when he carved his first table leg without fault, and he received an acknowledgeable nod from his father with a spark in his eyes, he'd never seen before – or maybe he just didn't notice. This was the reason why Daniel finally mustered the courage to talk to his father.

John measured the table legs to make sure they were of equal length. Daniel observed him; his expression was very concentrated. "Father?"

He responded with a hum. Daniel felt his palms become sweaty. "Some... Something strange happened to me last night," he said with a meek voice.

John gave Daniel a suspicious look. "What?"

Daniel took a breath. He wished that his father would continue to be fixated on the table legs. "I… I woke up… And I thought… Perhaps…"

"Speak up, son, we didn't come here to chitchat," John said. He placed his large hand on the work desk.

The young boy suddenly didn't feel so confident any more. He looked at his feet and mumbled, "Never mind."

John didn't move. He kept gazing at his son for a short while. Daniel couldn't bring himself to look into those drab eyes. "What's the matter, Daniel? Is it your sister again?" John urged. His tone didn't seem friendly or worried, but not annoyed or impatient either.

Daniel shook his head. "No. No, it was just me."

John raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

The boy looked up at his father again. He hesitated shortly, then he confessed, "I-it seems that I wetted my bed last night."

Daniel prepared himself for a slap that didn't come. His father merely stared at him in disbelief. Normally John would have carried out a punishment for such a juvenile act, even if it was just an accident – but John had not been drinking today. There was nothing reassuring about what he said next, though. "You **WHAT?**"

Daniel panicked. "But it was not really what happened! I mean, it didn't smell or feel that way!" John kept staring. Daniel could practically hear his brain working, processing what he had said. He swallowed and continued, "You know that I haven't had such problems since I was a toddler, Father! It couldn't have been that! I am genuinely confused!"

John stood up straight, suddenly seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. Then something completely insane happened. He started laughing.

Daniel stared at the man before him. Was it really the same person? The man, whom he had known to be a drunk violent hothead throughout the majority of his life; could it really be that same man that stood in front of him, laughing as if there was no tomorrow?

Eventually John's laughter subsided and he patted his son's shoulder. Daniel still felt wildly uncomfortable, and a bit annoyed with how hilarious his father apparently thought he was. "Thanks, son," John said and nodded, "I haven't heard anything as funny for a long time."

Daniel crossed his arms. "Well, I'm glad that at least you find it amusing."

John gestured to a chair while he himself sat down on the bench, "Sit. We need to talk."

Daniel sat down and had a long talk with his father. He finally understood the changes that were to come, and he asked a lot of questions. He had never had such an intimate conversation with anyone, and John was the last one he'd ever thought he could talk to about this. It was the best day he had ever spent with him. Maybe he wasn't really so bad a dad.

* * *

"_Hazel? Are you awake?"_

Hazel opened one eye. Her head felt as heavy as lead. Her vision was blurred, but she managed to make out the person hovering over her. "Daniel?" she said with a groggy voice. She felt like she had slept for longer than Sleeping Beauty.

"I made dinner," Daniel said and caressed her hair, "You won't believe what happened today!"

Hazel turned to gaze out the window. It was completely dark outside. Could it really be that she had slept the whole day? "What time is it?"

"I'm sorry we're so late," Daniel said. She hadn't noticed that he whispered until now. "Dad has gone to bed. He was very tired. We just got home."

Hazel sat up, but she felt very dizzy. Her body felt like it was still sleeping. "Is it already ten o'clock?"

"It has passed midnight, Hazel," Daniel said apologetically, "We didn't notice the time."

She nodded slowly. She wanted to lie down and sleep again, but Daniel insisted that she ate something. Her brother couldn't contain his excitement. He blabbered on about how close he and John had become all of a sudden. He told Hazel that he finally felt useful in their father's eyes. Finally he could do something right.

Hazel nodded with a small smile, unable to really eat anything. But she didn't want Daniel's food to go to waste, so she did her best to keep it down. Daniel was so happy today and she didn't want to ruin his good mood. So she didn't tell him about the seizure.

* * *

It seemed that Daniel and John weren't the only ones that were bonding.

Hazel was sleeping again, so Daniel thought it would be a good time to read Serena's letter. He never read it while his younger sister was awake, for he didn't like telling her that it was private and that she couldn't read along with him. He sat down on his bed and unfolded the piece of paper.

_My dear Daniel,_

_Even though my schooling is still very awful, I have hope now. A terrible event happened not too long ago, which made the professors and my parents realise that I am simply too mature to walk amongst children younger than me. You do remember I told you I started school one year late, right? Now my parents are going to make up for that! After the summer vacation, I am going to move up a class. I will be able to be around children my own age! I am so excited!_

_Furthermore, my mother is starting to give me a lot more attention. She was so excited this autumn, because I finally reached my womanhood, though I am not completely sure what that means. I do not consider myself a woman yet. Even though I was disturbed by the incident that caused my sudden transition, I am happy to see Mother this overjoyed. Maybe I am not a disappointment after all!_

_My governess is much more strict now. I cannot go anywhere without her breathing down my neck! It is not like I am going to run off or anything. She even goes with me when I am going to meet Miss Mary. It is such a headache. I fear I might not be able to get her off my back this summer, but I will find a way so do not worry, Daniel._

_I feel like a lot is changing. I have gotten my very first corset! I feel really pretty, though it is very restrictive. I cannot move as freely as I used to, so we won't be able to play any of our games. We do not really do that any more, anyway. We are too old for that now, don't you agree?_

_I am glad that you and your father have gotten a better relationship. I think it was about time. Perhaps he will finally pull himself together. I really do wish the best for you and Hazel. I hope to meet her one day when she feels better and is able to walk outside the house._

_I cannot wait to see you, Daniel. I miss you._

_See you soon,_

_Serena da Silva_

There was no need for a reply. Daniel folded the letter again and looked out the window. Things were really getting better – also for his best friend. He felt warm. Serena had reached womanhood now, just as he was becoming a man. The thought of that tingled deep in his stomach. It was the time of change. He really looked forward to the summer.

* * *

John never celebrated his birthday, nor others'. This was the reason why Daniel only cared to celebrate Hazel – and then meet up with Serena when it was his own special day – but he felt now that he couldn't just ignore his father's birthday any more. They had bonded. They had talked. Even if John himself didn't care, Daniel did.

He had spent time using some of his mother's old tailoring tools. Hazel had heartily helped with deciding what they were to give him. They had helped each other with wrapping the gift, and now they just waited for their father to return home.

The whole day John didn't show up. Daniel felt kind of disappointed. He had put effort into making his father the perfect gift, yet he didn't even come home to receive it. One couldn't really blame him, though, as Daniel and Hazel usually didn't do anything for him, but it would have been the perfect surprise. Instead they were left waiting for him.

The sun had set a couple of hours ago. Hazel sat up in the couch, wrapped in her blanket. Daniel had dragged a chair to the coffee table, and now the siblings were in the midst of a game of Old Maid – and Daniel was losing.

"Don't be a sore loser, Danny!" Hazel reprimanded, though giggling all the while.

Daniel pursed his lips. "I'm not! But I saw that you changed the cards! I'm not making this up!"

That was when the front door opened. The siblings fell silent and looked up. John walked in doing something, his children had never witnessed him do before; humming. The man was singing a happy melody of a song that Daniel and Hazel didn't know. They both stared at him.

John went to kick off his boots and took his coat off. He actually hung it on the coat stand this time, instead of just throwing it onto the floor. What was even more weird, he didn't smell. The awful stench of liquor didn't follow him like it usually did. John obviously had not been in the studio drinking. "Are you all right, Father?" Daniel said with wide eyes.

John stopped and looked at his children. "Yes," he said, "Actually, I feel quite excellent." He gestured with his arms.

Daniel and Hazel sent each other a look of amazement. Hazel was the next one to say something. "Happy birthday, Dad."

John looked at Hazel and nodded. "Thank you, Hazel."

Hazel was so stunned, her mouth fell open. That was the first time John had ever addressed Hazel by her name. The first time he had actually recognized her presence. She looked at Daniel, unable to hide her joy. Also Daniel felt very happy. "Father," he said and stood up, "Hazel and I have made a present for you!"

"Is that so?" John said and raised his eyebrows. His face remained expressionless, but it was a great improvement nonetheless. Daniel ran into his room to fetch the small parcel. It only took a minute before John was sitting in the couch with each of his children by his side and unravelling the gift.

John eyed the item. It was a lovely cravat made out of silk. Daniel had spent his own money on the fabric. He turned towards Daniel. "Did you make this?"

Daniel nodded nervously. He knew how much his father had loathed whenever he had helped his mother out with her tailoring back when she was alive. He had always said that it was not a man's occupation. John examined the tie. Hazel sent Daniel a questioning look, and Daniel merely shrugged in response. After a while John finally spoke, "Good job."

He stood up and ascended the stairs to his bedroom. Hazel looked at Daniel again. He was smiling proudly. Suddenly it didn't seem as such a bad thing that their father had returned home late. No matter what he had been doing the whole day, it had certainly changed his attitude a lot. John himself was becoming a new man.


	11. Changes

**A/N:** Here we go with another chapter! I'm so excited, we're really getting to the good stuff :D Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and alerting and reviewing! I'm having so much fun writing this story!

* * *

Serena looked different with a corset on. She definitely looked much more like a woman, despite her being only eleven years old. Her waist appeared much slimmer. "You have grown a bit, have you not?" she said and got closer to him to compare heights.

Daniel did actually notice that Serena seemed to be smaller than he remembered, but he hadn't noticed that he had grown before she mentioned it. Maybe everyone around him were growing as well, that's why he didn't notice.

This summer Serena didn't have time for meeting as much as usual. She blamed her governess Miss Farrell for following her around wherever she went, but Daniel had seen the arrangements and the many visitors around her parents' mansion. Things were apparently also changing for Serena's family, and she was much busy keeping up with it.

But Daniel was so busy himself due to working on Henry's clubhouse that he almost didn't notice Serena's absence. It was very strange. Things seemed to be disappearing or broken every time he came back to continue the building. It must have been the animals in the woods.

Besides, Daniel also had to take care of the studio. John went out a lot these days, and no one knew where to. At least he was in a better mood, so Daniel and Hazel didn't complain. In fact, John went out so much that he even had Daniel run the business alone. "You're becoming a man now," he had said, "It's time you learn to keep the store by yourself."

Daniel had just bitterly thought of it as an excuse for John to not take care of the shop himself. But as always he simply agreed with his father, for objections were never a good idea.

So a sunny day in early July, he found himself in the studio cleaning, dusting off some of the sculptures and organizing the blueprints and sketches his father had drawn. He was not allowed to build anything himself without his father's supervision.

It was rare for John to have a customer, for no one ever really went to the village when they wanted to buy anything. The business had been running much better back when they had the store in the Canterbury centre, not too long from the Buttermarket. But once in a while a local would show up and buy one of the many fine furnitures and sculptures Daniel and John had on display.

Daniel was admittedly bored. After having cleaned and organized everything, there actually wasn't anything to do. There was always a long wait between customers. He always made sure to bring a couple of his books, so that he had something to pass the time with.

Sometime later on in the noon, a customer came by. There had been three potential customers already, but only one of them had bought a small jar, so Daniel didn't have high expectations when he heard the bell in the studio's shop ring.

He looked up from his book without much interest, only to almost fall out of his chair in shock. "Sere- Miss da Silva! I mean, can I help you, miss?"

Serena giggled, "You don't have to call me that, Daniel, neither my parents, sisters nor Miss Farrell are with me."

Daniel stood up from his chair. "Why are you here? You're not supposed to come to the village!"

Serena shrugged and held up a small pouch in her hand with a smile. "Perhaps I came to buy something?"

The older boy stared at the money pouch, biting his lip. If Serena came as a customer, he could not deny her service. Sneaky gal. "Well," he said, trying not to grin too widely, "If you came to buy something, then I shall not rush you out of the store."

Serena looked around the shop. She then sent Daniel a mischievous smile. "You have so many wonderful things," she said, slowly walking further into the store, "I might have a hard time deciding what I want, so I will probably have to stay a while to figure it out." She picked up a small but pretty sculpture of a couple of cuddling turtle doves. "And I will need a good professional view to help me make a final decision."

Daniel felt that the look she sent him was saying something much less innocent than her words. She didn't wear her hair up today. She usually didn't, but it was looking really nice and voluminous just now. It had gotten long. Sometimes it was very straight and elegant, other times it was big and wavy and cute. Daniel found he really liked the way Serena looked.

"Well…" he said with a playful smile, "I guess I'll just have to give you the best service that I can."

She looked at him with a big smile. A moment later the two of them embraced each other tightly, holding on to one another as if letting go would mean that they would lose each other forever. It was first then that Daniel actually realised how much he had grown. Serena only reached to his nose now. She seemed to fit perfectly in his embrace.

* * *

Serena stuck around the whole day. She helped cleaning out, but she was forced to hide behind the desk every time a customer showed up. Of course she got very annoyed with Daniel, but even she could tell that one of the locals would be shocked to find a nice looking girl with an exquisite dress in a dusty old shop.

"So you say that you cannot get rid of your governess?" Daniel said while counting up the money in the cash register.

"Yes! It is so annoying!" Serena scoffed, resting her head on her palm, "I don't even know why she's still here! I mean, I am going to school anyway, so why keep her? She is not teaching me anything, she just keeps an eye on me and tells me that I am not allowed to do anything!"

Daniel wondered how Serena even managed to get rid of her governess at all. The girl must've had a lot of dirty tricks up her sleeve. "That is strange. Why don't you talk to your parents about it?"

Serena sighed. "Because I _do_ know why they keep her," she said, "It is because they want someone to keep an eye on me. It is as if they don't trust me, yet they always tell me that I am so mature for my age." She rolled her eyes, adding, "And then also because she and my mother like to chat and gossip!"

She fell silent. Daniel thought of what she said while he finished up and put the money back in the drawer. Then he looked at Serena, "Is your family going through a lot of changes?"

She frowned, looking down at her fingers stroking the surface of the desk she sat by. "I guess…" she mumbled, "I don't know… I think so. My mother is observing me a lot these days. And Regina has come of age, so she also gets a lot of attention; even more so than me."

Serena looked up at Daniel with wide eyes, as if she just remembered something. "That reminds me – I will not be staying in Canterbury for as long as usual this year!"

Daniel felt upset. "Why not?" he said with disappointment.

She got a bitter expression on her face. "Because there apparently is to be some social event back in London that Regina and Jess have to attend! But I cannot even join them, for even though I have reached 'womanhood', I am still not _old enough!"_

"Calm down, princess," Daniel said and patted her shoulder, "Soon it'll be your turn, too!"

Serena sighed. "Yes, someday," she said dreamily, "Someday I will be able to dance with a tall and beautiful man, whom I will marry afterwards."

Daniel shook his head with a smile. Serena was such a girl sometimes. It was quite amusing. Daniel himself had not even considered if he wanted to marry yet, but marriage to a perfect husband was Serena's dream. "So when are you going home?"

She looked at him apologetically. "The day after your birthday," she said, "So that is when we will have to say goodbye."

He took her hand. "Not goodbye," he said, "Until next summer."

* * *

It really was too bad that neither Daniel nor Serena had much time to see each other. They only managed to meet up a few times through the summer, and July passed by too quickly. Before Daniel even had a chance to look around, it was his birthday. He woke up feeling both sad and excited. He didn't know if he was ready to say goodbye just yet, but at least they were spending the day together doing the best thing, Daniel could think of – and it had even been Serena's idea.

Daniel and Serena walked across the fields, heading for the outskirts of Canterbury. Serena had brought an even larger basket than usual, with not only cake but also sandwiches and beverages; they were going to have a picnic. She also carried a beautiful bouquet of flowers from her mother's garden that she herself had plucked.

Serena struggled with walking through the tall grass. "It is impossible to move a leg without tripping here!" she groaned.

"You complain too much, princess," Daniel laughed.

"Why do you suddenly insist on calling me that?" She nudged his shoulder. The blush on her face suggested that she was very fond of the nickname, though.

He merely said, "Because you are one."

Serena didn't object to that statement. She turned to look at her feet again to make sure she didn't trip over herself. "I hope we will be there soon."

Daniel pointed with a smile, "We are."

The hill was not too high nor steep, but it seemed to tower over them as they got closer. Daniel assisted Serena in ascending it, and soon they reached the top with the big, beautiful ash tree. A lone headstone resided underneath it.

The two adolescents fell silent to pay their respects. The wind was a bit colder up here, but the sun was shining so brightly that they didn't notice. After a while of silence, Serena bowed down in front of the stone and placed the flowers.

Daniel looked at her. The wind tangled in her hair, playfully toying with it. He knew that he had been right to bring her here. His mother was approving.

He walked forward and put an arm around Serena. She turned towards him and they embraced each other. Not because they had to say goodbye or were going to miss each other, just because they wanted to.

All of Serena's food had been very delicious. Daniel was going to miss it. He doubted that Serena made any of it herself, but it was still a lot better than his own cooking.

The sun hung low now. He knew that meant that Serena would have to go soon. But he didn't want her to, so he didn't mention it even though it was the only thing he could think of.

"I hope that my new class will be much better," she said. Her eyes studied the beautiful tombstone. It held such great detail that only a master could produce. Daniel's father had stayed up all night, carving it himself the same day that Emily died before he went to bury her. It was safe to say that both blood, sweat and tears had gone into it.

"I hope so, too," Daniel said, "If they don't treat you well, I'll make them regret it."

Serena turned to look at Daniel, laughing. "And how do you suppose you are going to do that? You are not exactly the most intimidating character I know."

Daniel pouted unintentionally. Hearing Serena say that she didn't have faith in his strength hurt his pride a great deal. "I am strong!" he said in his defence.

She merely dismissed him, "Of course you are, Daniel."

He felt his heart drop. How was he going to prove to her that he was a man? He hadn't expected her to be doubtful about his abilities – but suddenly he thought of something. "It's true," he said, "I beat up one of my classmates more than a year ago. The bully of the class."

Serena's eyes widened and she looked at Daniel again. He was much more content with that expression on her face. "Really? Why?"

"He was harassing Hazel," Daniel said nonchalantly, refraining from telling her that Henry was in fact also harassing him.

"That's horrible!"

"Yes, very," Daniel nodded, feeling slightly better.

Serena nodded with an impressed look on her face. "I guess you really are strong."

"Of course I am!" he said, sending her an annoyed glare.

Serena didn't respond to it, she merely leaned her head on Daniel's shoulder. "I have to go soon."

That was the inevitable words that Daniel had been wanting to avoid. He swallowed, "Yes."

"Promise me that you will think of me every day."

Daniel looked at her at that comment. He already was, but he was not about to tell her that. "I will."

For a short while they sat quietly, but then Serena stood up and dusted the dirt of her skirt. "Now, help me clean up!" Daniel reluctantly complied.

The two of them spent a good amount of time putting everything back in the basket – much more time than they had to. But they would see each other again, and with that reassurance Daniel managed to let go of Serena.

* * *

The school started again. To most boys it was a drag, but not Henry. In school, he was the one in charge. Everyone feared him. He hated the vacations, hated staying at home. He glared at the back of Daniel's head. His hair looked nice, not dirty like Henry's. Nothing about Daniel was dirty or filthy. The boy washed himself so often it could barely be healthy.

"For the crimes of adultery, incest and treason, Anne Boleyn was locked up in the royal quarters of the Tower, where she was to await her execution," Mr. Harrison said, "A convict never really stood a chance during trials. Even if she were innocent, the judges would most certainly have had her sentenced anyway."

Daniel reached his hand in the air. Henry narrowed his eyes.

Mr. Harrison lit up, just like he always did when his favourite student had something to add. "Yes, Mr. Wilkinson?"

"Since there was little evidence of Anne Boleyn having committed such crimes, it could be argued that the real reason for her execution was her inability to give birth to a son," Daniel said, "King Henry VIII's patience ran up after several miscarriages, and he needed a male heir for the throne. Besides, it seemed that the king had already lost interest with Anne and started seeing Jane Seymour, so most likely the accusations were just an excuse for King Henry to be rid of her."

Mr. Harrison nodded with an impressed and satisfied look on his face. "Very good, Wilkinson," he said, "You have a keen eye."

Daniel always excelled in history. It was as if he just couldn't keep his disgustingly clean hands from shooting up into the air whenever Mr. Harrison asked a question, and even when he didn't.

Henry hated it. He hated how Daniel shined and he didn't. Why was Daniel so good at everything? Why did he impress everyone? Why was he so clean, why was his hair so nice? Why was he so kind? He didn't have to be. No one was kind to him.

Henry fisted his hands. Daniel shouldn't have it that easy. He wouldn't allow it. It was not fair.

* * *

The haunt was looking splendid. Daniel was almost completely done. Soon he would be out of Henry's so-called debt.

If he got to finish it, that was.

The whole pack was making a lot of noise. The boys were not the sharpest tools in the shed. They did anything Henry told them to, following him because he was the strongest. They were as submissive as animals. They didn't see the whole picture, only what was right in front of them. They had brought hammers, bats and axes. Henry didn't care where they had gotten the dangerous tools, all that was important was that they had done as he said.

They all thought that it was a great idea. None of them had bothered to ask why Daniel was building this in the first place, so Henry hadn't had to reveal the boy's secret yet. Not that he would keep quiet if anyone were to ask, anyway.

That was another thing fuelling Henry's hatred. The girl. What was she doing with Daniel? Why was she not Henry's secret friend? She was way too good for Daniel.

The anger made Henry roar as he smashed the cudgel into the small house. The other boys merely laughed and cheered as they continued to demolish Daniel's hard work.

Henry breathed heavily. The clubhouse was completely destroyed. Justice had been served.

* * *

The book slammed down into the table right in front of Daniel. "Here, use this."

Daniel looked up at his father with a frown. "But why? What do you need it for?"

John didn't look at Daniel. "Don't ask so many questions, just do as you're told." The boy didn't have the chance to question further. His father turned around and walked out the front door. It slammed shut with a bang. As usual, Daniel had no idea where the man was going.

He looked down at the book again. His fingers lingered over the surface for a bit, caressing the dusty front cover. This book had not been used for more than ten years. He had not expected his father to still have it.

Daniel opened the book and flicked through the pages. There were patterns for everything, from small handkerchiefs and gloves to big formal dresses. This was Emily's old tailoring book. She had always trusted it to contain any information she needed to sew whatever her customers asked her to.

John had asked Daniel to make him a suit. A really nice one, the kind of suit that gentlemen wear. It would take a lot of work. Daniel had no idea what he wanted to use it for. He wasn't even that good at tailoring, he didn't manage to learn much before Emily died.

But Daniel trusted his father. Whatever he needed it for, it must have been important – so he would do as he wished.

* * *

Daniel filled the inhaler with the steaming hot water. The house was quiet. John wasn't home.

Hazel looked at the ceramic inhaler. She was tired of it. It was impractical and took such a long time to prepare. It didn't help her illness one bit. Everything was changing. She didn't like it. It was as if something bad was waiting right around the corner. Daniel couldn't see it, he was too caught up in Serena and bonding with Father.

That was the thing. Daniel was so caught up in everything around him. Hazel felt more forgotten than ever. She was not in that world that Daniel was so excited about. She was not part of the outside world.

"Here, Hazel," Daniel said and moved to place the mouthpiece for Hazel.

She stared at the inhaler as it neared her mouth, but she kept it shut. Daniel frowned. "What's wrong, Hazel? You need to breathe in the steam!"

"Why?" she exclaimed, losing her patience, "To cure my illness? It's not helping!"

Daniel looked shocked. He lowered the inhaler.

Hazel's eyes welled with tears. "I'm not stupid, Danny," she said, "I know I am going to die."

"Now, that's not true," Daniel said, but he didn't look her in the eyes. She saw how he fisted his hands as she spoke those words.

"Then, why won't you look at me?" she whispered, her shoulders shaking.

Daniel immediately looked up at Hazel, but that only confirmed her suspicions even more. She felt an unbearable agony by the realisation that what she feared most was actually true. She was no longer able to keep from crying. "Daniel..."

He put the inhaler down on the bed stand, grabbing her shoulders. "Hazel, look at me!" he said determined. She did, but her eyes were so glazed her vision became blurred. "You are not going to die! I won't allow that!"

"But that is not for you to decide!" Hazel said, her voice high, "God decides who lives! And I am not strong enough!"

"Hazel, listen," he said, placing both his hands on each side of her face and resting his forehead on hers, "The Lord decides, but He is also merciful. I have been praying every night since you were born, and He has not taken you away from me. He has given you His strength, and you need to utilise it. Fight for me, Hazel."

Hazel didn't answer. She just kept crying, letting all of her inner fears and complexes and heartache out. She grasped onto Daniel's shirt, and he put his arms around her with the sort of supportive reassurance that only an older brother could give. "Hush," he said and rocked her, "I will not let you die, Hazel. I promise."

* * *

His whole body became numb when he saw it. He dropped the pieces of wood he was carrying. A ball of ice formed in his stomach. How could this have happened? After all of his hard work...

The house was ruined. He had almost been done. This could not have been the work of the forest animals. Someone had sabotaged him.

Daniel had fallen to his knees in hopelessness when he returned to continue his work on the clubhouse. He quickly gave up on trying to rebuild it. It was too damaged. He needed to start completely over, and it just wasn't worth it. He hoped that Henry might forget about it, since it had almost been a year since he asked him to do it. Perhaps he didn't need it now, anyway. Maybe he wouldn't care any more.

But Daniel was not that fortunate.

"Hey, Wilkinson!"

Daniel turned around in the school yard. Henry approached him quickly. For a minute he wondered if he could make a run for it, but before he could even consider his chances of succeeding, Henry grabbed his arm. "How is my haunt coming along?" he said with that idiotic smile of his. His breath stank.

Daniel felt his heart sink down to his stomach. "I-I really don't know what happened, Henry, but it's completely wrecked! I swear, I was almost done, I'm so sorry..."

Henry merely laughed. That was when he realisation hit him like a splash of cold water. Daniel's eyes widened in disbelief. "It was you..." he whispered.

"I guess you will just have to start over, right, Danny-boy?" Henry said, patting Daniel's shoulder, "Lest I should accidentally tell someone about your little secret?"

Daniel didn't answer. He merely stared at Henry, hands fisted, blood boiling.

* * *

Daniel found he really enjoyed needlework. It reminded him of when his mother was alive, how she had taught him how to handle the sewing and told him fairy tales.

Of course, Daniel's highest priority following work, school and the studio lay in getting Henry's clubhouse done. Hazel hadn't had a serious seizure for a very long time, so he trusted that she could take care of herself while he was busy.

After having removed all of the ruined parts of the house – which was basically all that he had built so far – he started reconstructing the foundation. It didn't take him as long this time; he had definitely gotten more handy with the craft. Midway through November he had finished it. Now he just had to start over with building up the walls and roof; the part that took the longest time. It certainly didn't help that he had so many other chores on his hands.

Honestly, Daniel was quite exhausted. With school, work, the studio, caring for Hazel, the clubhouse and the suit for his father, there wasn't much time to rest. It seemed like he always had something to attend to. He just wanted a break. At least the suit was done now.

November rain was pouring outside. The weather in England was so erratic. Just a week ago the sun had been shining, but it changed in the blink of an eye and it had been raining cats and dogs ever since. He eyed the pieces of fabric that was now turned into a shirt, blazer and a pair of trousers. He had never thought he would actually manage to finish it so soon. Maybe it was in his genes.

Daniel had gotten money from John to buy the fabric. It was really expensive, but John wanted it to be the finest. He didn't know why his father suddenly was fine with spending a lot of money, but he was not one to interfere with his business.

He had been in such awe when he had measured him. John was a true man. He was over six feet in height, he had very broad shoulders and a broad chest as well, and both his arms and legs were big and muscular. Compared to John's large biceps, Daniel's arms were nothing but sticks. He wanted to be as masculine as his father. He wanted muscular arms and legs. Why was he so skinny?

Daniel pursed his lips by the thought as he adjusted the shirt's collar a bit. "Father!" he yelled. He didn't have the energy to go up the stairs to fetch him.

"_**Just a minute!**"_

John's voice roared like a lion. Daniel fell silent. He definitely would never be able to shout like that, even if he wanted to. And that was actually something, he was completely fine with.

It didn't take a single minute before John came down, rather ten. He looked very different. He had trimmed both his hair and beard, and he had definitely been washing himself up. Daniel looked at his father with wide eyes. "Eh... Your suit is done."

"Perfect," John said and took the clothes. He immediately went upstairs again.

About twenty minutes later, the rain finally stopped. It was about time. It had been like this for a week.

Daniel utilised the short moment he had alone to rest. He sat on a chair by the window and looked out. He could see his neighbour Mr. Philips' farm animals. A brown Thoroughbred yearling was running around in the pen, enjoying the damp air.

John came down the stairs again. Daniel looked up at him, only to find himself gaping. His father looked like a real gentleman. He was wearing the cravat Daniel had made him for his birthday along with the rest of the suit and a pair of nice new shoes. He had never seen his father this dressed up. John stood still in front of Daniel. "So, what do you think?"

Daniel stared for a little while before nodding eagerly, "You look exquisite! Very handsome!"

His father gave him a nod. He then moved over to the coat stand. "Father, where are you going in this weather?" Daniel said confused, "It could start raining again any minute!"

"You don't need to worry about the suit," John said and fished up an item from behind the coats, "I'm bringing an umbrella."

Daniel tilted his head and frowned. He still wanted to know where the man was going in that outfit.

John put on his coat and walked over to the front door, but before leaving he stopped with his hand on the doorknob. He turned to look at Daniel and gave him an acknowledgeable nod. "Thanks, son."

Then he went out the door. Daniel sat back, feeling like his father had finally given him something he had always missed.

* * *

Hazel was growing up so fast. To Daniel, it seemed like only a couple of years ago he had taught her how to walk. All of a sudden he found himself celebrating her eighth birthday.

As usual, John was nowhere to be seen. Even though Daniel wanted him to be more attentive of Hazel, he was kind of glad that their father didn't change too drastically. He would start to worry if that was the case. Daniel went out early that day to buy some groceries. He was going to make Hazel a birthday cake this year, for she deserved one. He knew how hard the illness was on her, especially in these times.

He had been completely sure that John would be out visiting Emily's grave. John always went to see her tombstone on Hazel's birthday. It wasn't anything Daniel had seen with his own eyes or been told, he just knew. The look, John had in his eyes whenever he came home on this particular day, said enough.

On his way home from the town centre, he decided to pay his mother a visit, too. He had the feeling that John wouldn't mind. Maybe it would be another chance for him and his father to bond. But when Daniel arrived by the hill, John was nowhere in sight. There were no fresh footprints in the snow. John had not been there.

It confused Daniel greatly. If John had not gone to visit Emily's grave, then where was he? He wasn't in the studio, either. Daniel felt a bit disappointed that his father hadn't even been there visiting Emily earlier. He appreciated that John honoured his mother's memory, though he neglected Hazel in the process.

After having stayed by his mother's grave for a bit and talked to her, Daniel returned home. He couldn't stay for too long, for Hazel was waiting for him. They spent the day together reading fairy tales and eating cake, and Daniel even let Hazel in on some of the things he and Serena had done together.

It was a perfectly ordinary and nice day spent with Hazel. But one thing still remained a mystery; where did John go?

* * *

Christmas was usually very quiet. John always disappeared to the studio, Emily's grave or into his own room on this particular day, so Daniel usually spent the evening cooking a humble dinner, singing Christmas hymns and praying with Hazel. It was all about getting the most out of what they had, even if they couldn't afford giving each other presents. But this Christmas would turn out to be very different.

Daniel was washing Hazel in the small iron tub as John came down wearing nothing on his torso and with a towel hurled over his shoulder. Apparently he was also on his way to take a shower. "You two should put on something nice," he said, "We're invited to dinner tonight."

Daniel stared at him in disbelief. John was about to leave when he stood up and said, "We can't. Hazel cannot go out, she's too ill."

John looked at Daniel. For a moment, nothing but Hazel's movements in the water could be heard. Then the man walked over to his son and slapped him so hard it brought tears to his eyes. It took him by surprise. "Don't you dare question me," John said with an eerily low voice, "Just do as I say, understood?"

Daniel felt shocked. His cheek was burning. He knew he had been stupid to think that his father had changed. He might not drink any more, but he still had a bad temper. He bit his lip and nodded, stubbornly trying to keep the tears from falling.

John gazed at Daniel for a short while, then went out the front door to go the shower cabin.

Hazel held her breath until her father was out the door. Daniel stood completely still, his shoulders shaking. "Danny…" she peeped. He immediately turned around and sat down on his knees by the bathtub again. He continued scrubbing Hazel with the brush, his teeth clenched.

* * *

Neither Daniel nor Hazel had any actual formal or nice looking clothes, but at least John understood that it wasn't their fault. He made Daniel straighten his shirt and lend him one of his ties, though. Daniel packed a bag filled with laudanum and Hazel's inhaler. He didn't want to risk anything. Hazel was wrapped in several layers of clothing before she was allowed to step out into the snow covered landscape.

John didn't utter a word as to where they were going on the whole walk. The sun had set a long time ago and it was almost dinnertime. At first Daniel thought that they might were heading for the town centre, but he soon found out that he was wrong when John turned down a smaller road leading to a whole other place. A place Daniel recognised.

He held his breath. This road lead to Serena's family's mansion. His heart started beating faster. Had Henry told John? Were they going to confront her family? He tried to calm himself with the fact that Serena was supposed to be in London right now, but he couldn't help but feel that he was on his way to his own execution.

Hazel noticed her brother's anxiety. She squeezed his hand. Daniel looked down at her with a confused look. "Don't be scared, Danny," she said, "I won't let the dark harm you."

Then he understood. The sky was dark.

Daniel didn't feel the traumas of his past nag at him. He wasn't afraid of the night. That didn't mean that he liked it, though – but the night was not complete, closed-up darkness. The night had the moon and the stars and safe warm homes with light in their windows. He wasn't trapped. That was why he managed to walk home when he finished work late and why he could stay and watch the sunset with Serena, even if he felt uncomfortable.

Daniel smiled at Hazel. "I know," he said.

John luckily didn't continue down the road that led to Serena's mansion. Daniel felt like he finally could breathe again. Instead they went the opposite direction of her house, to an area with a lot of other sizeable houses. This was obviously a neighbourhood for somewhat wealthy people. But John kept walking past it, still moving closer to the town gates. Maybe they were going to the Canterbury centre after all.

Daniel was wrong once again. A large mansion – though not as huge as Serena's family's – appeared before the town gates even came into sight. A fence surrounded it and in the middle of the carriage driveway was a humble fountain. A private stable belonged to the house. Who lived here?

The iron gate was open. The house was lit up everywhere. Daniel wondered if there was to be a big Christmas party, and why they were even invited. Something was really off about all of this. John knocked on the door. It didn't take long before an older gentleman opened. He bowed and said, "Ah, the fine John Wilkinson and his children, I presume. If you would please follow me to the dining room, sir."

Daniel and Hazel looked at each other with wide eyes. It really was no mistake. They were guests here.

The butler that opened the door for them took their coats and lead the way through the fine hall. Daniel felt very out of place as he looked around. Expensive paintings adorned the walls. The furniture looked fancy and posh. Was this some kind of trap?

The house was not too big, though. It didn't take forever before they reached the dining hall. Also this room was a place that Daniel and Hazel didn't feel like they belonged in. Hazel fidgeted with her white dress that usually was a nightgown. "Danny, I don't feel like I am dressed up enough for this," she whispered with a blush on her face.

Daniel loosened his tie a bit. "You're not the only one."

"If you would please take a seat, the mistress will be with you shortly," the polite butler said and left the room again.

The table was laid nicely with porcelain plates and crystal glasses and so many pieces of cutlery that Daniel didn't know which to use. It was only laid for four people though, so he guessed there would be no Christmas party. John sat down in one of the chairs and gestured to the others, "Come, sit down."

Hazel looked up at Daniel and he just nodded. They both sat down beside their father. "Now, I expect you two to behave your very best," John said, "No sloppiness, no interrupting, only speak when spoken to, and for God's sake, swallow your food before you open your mouth. Make me feel proud, not ashamed."

Daniel and Hazel nodded. They didn't think that they could manage to make him proud, but at least they could do their best not to be a complete disappointment to him.

The room was silent. Tension hung in the air as they waited for the mistress, whoever she was. It felt really uncomfortable. Daniel noticed how Hazel was shaking. She was nervous; he could almost hear her delicate heart drum frantically against her chest like a scared little bird.

Suddenly noise could be heard from down the hall. John, Daniel and Hazel all looked up as the doors opened. Several servants walked in carrying trays filled with delicious food. Turkey, sweet potatoes, red cabbage. A real Christmas dinner.

Daniel and Hazel almost drooled by the sight of all the delicacies. They had never been served such a marvellous dinner before. Hazel wanted to start filling her plate, but Daniel took her hand before she could reach any of the dishes. She looked up at him with big eyes. He silently shook his head. She drew her hand back and placed it in her lap again.

After the servants had finished placing all the dishes on the table, they disappeared out into the hallway again. Another few minutes past, and finally the mistress showed up.

Daniel's eyes widened. _No way. _Even though a veil had covered her face the last time he had seen her, he recognised her instantly.

She was tall and this time wearing a long, very expensive violet dress that was buttoned all the way from the collar to the waist. Her hair was a light brown colour with a few greying strands, and it was tied firmly back into a complex bun. All the features on her face were sharp and thin; a pointed, long nose, thin lips and cold, piercing blue eyes enhanced by the lilac earrings she was wearing.

"Welcome," Mrs. Evans said, "I am honoured to have you join me for dinner this Christmas evening."

Hazel was in awe. Her dress was so pretty. Once again she felt ashamed to be wearing a simple nightgown. John stood up from his seat. "I am glad you will have us, Henrietta."

_Henrietta?_ Daniel thought. So his father and Mrs. Evans were even on first name terms? Suddenly he knew where his father had been disappearing off to for so long.

"This is my son and daughter," John continued, gesturing to his children. He nudged Daniel's shoulder and he immediately stood up, Hazel following her brother's example. "Daniel and Hazel, say hello to Mrs. Evans."

Hazel fidgeted with her braid and bowed her head. "Hello, Mrs. Evans. It's really nice to meet you."

Henrietta eyed Hazel with a calculative look. Daniel didn't like her eyes. He didn't like how she looked at Hazel as if she was gauging her. He had not forgotten what he had heard about the woman. He was completely sure that she was as fake as the jewellery she had put on. Eventually her narrow lips extended into a devious smile. "What a wonderful little creature you are," she said, "It is nice to meet you, too."

She turned to look at Daniel. He didn't say anything. He just stared back at her, letting her know that he wasn't falling for her charades.

John grew impatient. This was not about to happen. He wouldn't allow it. Of all the times Daniel could have chosen to be disobedient, this should not be it. "Daniel!" he said, a warning hidden in the deep notes of his voice.

Daniel's eye twitched and he gave in. He didn't want to pretend that he was fine with it, though. He spoke with a dull voice, "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Evans."

Henrietta narrowed her eyes. Then she moved to a vacant chair, "Let's eat, shall we?"

They all sat down by the table. Daniel glared at Henrietta. He had been forced to greet her, but she didn't even have to acknowledge him. His father was nothing but a big, fat hypocrite.

* * *

The Christmas evening was very strained. John and Hazel did their best to force a good mood, but Daniel didn't want to play along. He didn't like the woman.

Daniel had never experienced his father laugh so loudly and talk so much. But it didn't feel real. It was too forced. John clearly wanted to impress Henrietta. He wanted something from her. _Probably her money so that he can buy all the alcohol he wants_, Daniel thought. He couldn't help the bitterness. He felt so betrayed.

Henrietta even went so far as to give Daniel and Hazel gifts. They were allowed to open it immediately since they wouldn't stay over for the night. Hazel got the pretty dress she had wanted for such a long time. Daniel got a very neat burgundy scarf.

"Thank you, Mrs. Evans," Daniel said and put the scarf back into the gift box, "but I already have a scarf."

John gave him a whipping as punishment for that comment when they got home. It was worth it.

Now Christmas was over and it wouldn't be long till New Year's Eve. Daniel sat down with a piece of paper and wrote a new letter.

_Dear Serena,_

_Now I know why my father changed. He tried to bribe us. He pathetically attempted to patch things up with us so that we would comply to his terrible idea. But he will never change._

_He brought us to a lady's house this Christmas Eve. It was horrible. Her name is Henrietta Evans, and I've heard rumours about her in town, grim rumours – that she was in charge of killing her own husband! How does my father expect me to welcome her into our family knowing that?_

_I have a very bad feeling about this. I worry for the coming year. I will not let that ghastly lady near Hazel. I hope you are doing better than me, Serena._

_Yours affectionately,_

_Daniel J. Wilkinson_


	12. Getting By

Henrietta and John certainly weren't taking it slow. The wedding date was already set in March.

Daniel wasn't happy about it, and he made no attempt to hide his displeasure. Why did it have to be her? Why did John choose a woman with eyes about as emotional as that of a snake's? Why Henrietta of _all_ women?

He tried to stay out of the house for as much as possible. Hazel would be fine. He just couldn't stand being near his father. He had stopped attending to the studio, and John didn't call him out on it. At least he also could see how big of a traitor he was being to his own son. The clubhouse was benefiting greatly from the whole situation, though. Daniel's aggressions proved to be of advantage to the building. The haunt was starting to look like something again.

Just like Daniel was back to where he started, Serena was also in a bad predicament. Her new class was not at all better than the first. It was even worse. They had bullied her to the point where she no longer could stand to go back to the school any more. Her parents finally agreed to have her home schooled by the governess, but Serena knew that they were very disappointed with her, and her sisters as well.

Daniel felt furious. Not only were he and Hazel having it hard, but Serena was miserable. It was completely unacceptable. He pounded hard onto the wooden board with the hammer. The club would not fall apart due to loose nails this time, that much was certain.

The wedding sure was something. A lot of high class people that Daniel and Hazel didn't know showed up. The ceremony was held in the Canterbury Cathedral by Archbishop William Howley. He recognised Daniel and Hazel instantly. "Oh, aren't you the luckiest of children," he had said to them afterwards, "To bid such a brilliant woman into your family. You must be proud!"

Daniel didn't feel proud.

The rest of the wedding was celebrated in Henrietta's mansion. Daniel didn't make an effort to talk to anyone. The people attending were only Henrietta's friends. John apparently didn't deem his own drinking buddies from the working class worthy of inviting. Hypocrite.

Hazel was looking very pale the whole evening. She wore the dress she had gotten from Henrietta. Daniel kept asking her if she wanted to go home and sleep, but she declined. Daniel silently admitted to himself that he actually hoped she would accept so that he also had an excuse to leave.

Henrietta even had the nerve to take John's name. Daniel didn't want to share names with that woman. She was not a Wilkinson. She was not part of the family. He _refused_ to accept it.

What was worse was that John soon set their house for sale. It was too much. Daniel couldn't live in the same house as her. It wasn't going to happen. But of course, arguing with John was as pointless as ever, and the whole contest of who could yell the loudest ended with a sore gut and back for Daniel. Hazel kept out of it and closed her eyes.

In April the whole family had settled in the mansion. Now the estate belonged to the name Wilkinson. It made Daniel sick. He didn't need a large house. He was perfectly fine with the shabby house he had grown up in. The house his mother once had lived in. Hazel constantly tried to cheer her brother up. "Come on, Danny, it's not half bad," she said with a tentative smile, "I mean, we don't have to share rooms any more."

Of course, that was a ridiculous argument. Daniel and Hazel had never minded sharing rooms. It was part of the reason why they had gotten such a close bond in the first place.

And as if Henrietta wasn't meddling in others' lives quite enough already, she also made sure to change Daniel's everyday life quite a bit without even asking him how he felt about it. "I have signed you up for the King's School, Daniel," she said as she poured herself a cup of tea by the morning table, "It is a quite excellent institution. Very exclusive. You're starting this September."

John raised his eyebrows and smiled. "How wonderful! Isn't that just wonderful, Daniel?"

Daniel stared at her for a moment, unable to believe what he was hearing. "What? N-no!" he began, slowly regaining his ability to speak.

"Daniel…" John mumbled warningly.

"I can't go! It's a boarding school!" Daniel unintentionally raised his voice, "I can't stay away from Hazel for months at a time! How could you just sign me up without consulting me about it first? Are you completely out of your- ?"

"_**Daniel!**"_

He bit his lip to prevent himself from finishing his sentence and fisted his hands. Just like that Henrietta managed to invade, nay, infect all of Daniel's life – and of course he wasn't allowed to speak his mind. He was just supposed to nod and agree, no matter what. John always took Henrietta's side.

Things kept going downhill. In spring, Hazel caught a bad cold. It was worrying. Daniel was overly careful, so Hazel didn't fall sick often, and certainly not in the spring. Her health was fragile enough; she didn't recover as easily from such trifles as others. "Father, this cold has been going on for too long now," he had told John, when he was reading the newspaper one evening. Henrietta was seated in the couch, reading a book.

John didn't even look up from his paper, "And what do you suppose we do? Doctor Tate is not in town."

"I know he isn't!" Daniel spat. He regained control of himself as John sent him a warning glare. "But surely there must be other doctors!"

"Do _you_ have money for a doctor, Daniel?" John said aggressively.

As Henrietta noticed the growing tension between the father and son, she spoke up, "I can pay for the doctor."

Both Daniel and John turned to look at her. John smiled endearingly and said, "Darling, that is so very generous of you."

Daniel clenched his teeth. Henrietta eyed him as she continued, "But she will have to see my physician. Doctor Barton. He excels in his field, I assure you."

"Isn't that wonderful, Daniel?" John said, "Aren't you going to thank Henrietta?"

Apparently, everything that Henrietta did was wonderful. Daniel's face remained expressionless. "Thank you, Henrietta."

Henrietta clearly wasn't satisfied, but she said no more. She wasn't at all as generous as John said. The look, she sent Daniel, spoke for itself; _I hope you know that you will have to pay for this sometime._

Doctor Barton wasn't as bad as Daniel had imagined him to be. In his mind he had been an old, boring man that didn't know what he talked about, and definitely knew nothing of how Hazel should be treated. He was not at all as kind and attentive as Doctor Tate.

But Barton wasn't very old, he couldn't be more than ten years older than Tate. He seemed to know what he was dealing with, just like Henrietta had praised him for. He was very professional – but he still didn't beat Doctor Tate. "How long has she been ill?" Barton said as he felt Hazel's forehead.

"For three weeks," Daniel said. He felt Henrietta's eyes in the back of his head.

Barton scribbled down some notes in his journal, then he packed up. "The coughing medicine I mentioned earlier will suffice. It is only a cold, nothing to be too worried about. When she starts taking the right medicine, she should recover quickly."

"See? That's what I told you, Daniel," Henrietta said nonchalantly. Daniel ignored her.

"Are you sure? Her health is very fragile, Doctor," Daniel said as he handed Barton his glasses.

Barton accepted them, "Don't worry, son, she will be fine. Just call me in again if anything happens."

Daniel nodded reluctantly. He had a feeling that Barton wasn't taking Hazel's condition into serious consideration, but there was nothing he could further say to make the physician double-check. He was sensing the older man was beginning to get annoyed with his questioning.

Barton was right. Hazel felt better less than a week later. Daniel didn't like how smug Henrietta was acting about it. She was such a snob.

On his father's birthday, he went to do what the man himself always did to Hazel – he visited Emily's grave. He needed to vent out. "She's just a hag, Mother! Stupid! I can't stand her!" he said and kicked the ground. The wind picked up a little bit. It soothed Daniel's anger. He fell to his knees.

_How am I supposed to live like this?_

* * *

For a while, Daniel had really picked up his game and gotten the clubhouse a long way. It was more than halfway finished. But now the summer vacation was near, and the boy had apparently forgotten about the deal he had with Henry. The haunt had been missing a half wall and a roof for two months now.

Henry had heard all about it. John Wilkinson and Henrietta Evans' wedding had been all over the town's lips. Daniel and his little sister had already moved into the house. He was sure that Daniel was really happy now. That he had all that he could ever dream of. A big lavish house. Nice clean clothes. Servants that granted his every wish. And a whole lot of money.

Henry pounded his fist against the wall of the clubhouse, biting his lip as he felt the splitting pain rush from his knuckles all the way up through his arm. He immediately drew his hand back, his eyes welling up.

Daniel had better continue his work. He shouldn't think that he was free just yet. Henry would not let him off that easily.

* * *

Daniel put his backpack down in his room and started changing into some clothes more suitable for work. He had just gotten home from his last day of school; it wasn't anything special, and Daniel was glad that no one made a big deal out of it. Their classroom teacher had already told the class a while ago that he would be transferring after the summer vacation. He had been worried that Henry might decide to 'celebrate' his last day with something special, but the older boy had not neared him. It was a big relief. Daniel couldn't deal with him at the moment, he had enough going on.

He had to admit that his new room was very nice. It was bright and spacious with a light blue wallpaper, a closet, drawers, a desk and a comfortable bed. Only a madman would complain about a comfortable bed!

It only took him a minute to change. He ran out to the hallway and down the stairs to the front hall. Henrietta was there, talking to her housekeeper and servants. He ran past the group and started putting on his shoes.

"Daniel, where are you going?"

Daniel looked up in surprise. Henrietta glanced at him with suspicion. He frowned, "I'm going to work."

Apparently his answer didn't please her. "You don't have to work," she said and narrowed her eyes, "Not any more."

Who did she think she was? Did she really think that Daniel would just give up every aspect of his former life to her money? There was no way that he would let her control him. He didn't want to owe her anything. Daniel glared at her. "Well, I will anyway," he spat and went out the door.

* * *

Henrietta wasn't the only one who had expected Daniel to be content with the fortune his family owned now.

Daniel arrived at the mill just in time for his usual shift to start; he was always very punctual. Miller was instructing some of the other young men working for him when he saw Daniel coming his way. "Ah, Daniel," he said, "I thought I would see you around soon. We can go talk in my office in just a minute." He turned away from Daniel to talk to the boys.

Daniel frowned, not sure what was going on. "Talk? About what? I came to work."

Miller turned towards Daniel again, his large hands on his hips. "You mean you didn't come to quit your job?" he said.

"No!" Daniel said, feeling shocked. Was Miller going to fire him?

The man's bushy eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh. Well, I guess there's no problem then. You can just get back to work."

Daniel stared at the man, not sure how to respond or if he even should. But Miller turned towards his young employees again, dismissing Daniel, so he decided to just do as he was told.

He worked for way longer than he was supposed to. He just didn't feel like going home. Henrietta was waiting there, probably with more questions. It was as if privacy had suddenly become a crime! Daniel helped one of the younger boys with grinding the corn. There was almost nothing left to do any more, but he needed to keep himself busy. When the small boy went home, Daniel knocked on the door to the miller's office.

"Come on in."

He opened the door. "Is there anything else I can do, sir?" he said.

Miller turned to look at Daniel. "Boy, are you still here? You've been working the whole day, you must be exhausted! Go home!" he ushered, staring at Daniel with incredulity.

Daniel unintentionally got a pleading look on his face. "No, it's fine, really," he said, "I'm not tired. What can I do?"

The big man laughed. His deep voice made it feel as if the whole office was booming. "Oh, Daniel," he said, wiping a single tear from his small eyes, "You're a workaholic, do you know that?" Daniel didn't get the chance to answer. "Tell me one thing," Miller leaned forward, looking at the young boy with a raised eyebrow, "Why are you even working? Your family has money now. Lots. You don't have to."

Daniel's eyes scanned the small office, avoiding looking at his chief. It was cramped and messy, and dust covered the floor. Books and documents filled the space on the desk. Miller didn't spend time organizing anything else but his corn and flour orders. "I just..." he paused, feeling hesitant, "I don't want to depend on anyone." His eyes drifted to his boots.

Miller nodded, stroking his moustache. "That's the right attitude, boy."

* * *

Hazel glanced at the big grandfather clock out in the hallway. It was visible from the bathroom, right from where she sat waiting. The bathtub was filled, the water slowly becoming colder and colder. It showed nine o'clock in the evening. The seconds ticked by, almost mockingly, _tick, tock, tick, tock._

She sighed, her hands grasping onto her nightgown. He promised. What was taking him so long?

"He won't be home in time, Hazel."

Hazel looked up. Henrietta stood in the doorway. As the girl sat on the floor looking up at the tall majestic woman, she felt even smaller than usual.

Henrietta strode into the bathroom. "You need to go to bed soon. I'll just bathe you instead."

Hazel didn't feel comfortable about that. She stood up, looking at Henrietta. "N-no, it's quite all right," she said with an uneasy smile, "I'll just wait. Daniel will be home soon, I'm sure."

Henrietta narrowed her eyes. She did it the way that Daniel hated. Hazel had heard her brother complain about their new stepmother many times, especially about her eyes. He said they were cold and soulless. Hazel didn't want to agree, even though that look of Henrietta's did intimidate her.

"If you're so sure," she said, her voice dragging on every syllable as if trying them out to see if they would prove her point sufficiently, "then why have you been waiting for more than an hour?"

The small girl didn't answer. She looked down at her naked feet, fidgeting with one of her messy braids. Her hair was so thick it was hard for the ribbon to keep it in place. Multiple strands of hair had already loosened themselves.

Henrietta let a small smile form on her lips, and she closed the door to the bathroom before sitting down on the chair beside the tub. "Let's clean you up, shall we?" She grabbed Hazel's arm and began unbuttoning her dress.

Hazel was going to let her bathe her, even though she usually only let Daniel do it. Henrietta was also female, just like her. And she was not a stranger. She was her stepmother. It should be fine.

But something inside Hazel couldn't do it. As Henrietta removed her dress, she began to struggle. "N-no!"

Henrietta frowned, "Hazel!"

"No! Daniel bathes me! Only Daniel!"

Hazel broke free of Henrietta's grasp and pulled her dress up again, but she didn't get far before Henrietta grabbed on to both her arms. "Hazel, behave yourself! Daniel cannot bathe you, he is working!"

"He'll come home soon! He always does!" Hazel cried, the pitch of her voice rising. Henrietta's grasp on her arms hurt her, and she felt her eyes tear up.

Henrietta wasn't pleased. Hazel had never seen her face contorted in such an angry expression before. She nearly hissed, _"__**Hazel!**__"_

"Don't worry about it, Henrietta, I'll take care of it."

At once Henrietta let go of Hazel, and they both turned to look at the door. There stood Daniel, panting, having just climbed the stairs in the main hall in a full-fledged run. "Daniel!" Hazel said, running to her older brother. He crouched down and embraced his sister while looking at Henrietta with nothing but resentment.

Henrietta took a deep breath so her whole chest rose and fell in a very distinct manner. The whole time her eyes remained narrowed. "Glad you made it, Daniel," she spat and walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

"Will you tell me about it?"

Sunlight shined down in the clearing. The shade from the trees kept the youngsters cool on the warm day. The only sounds were those of the nature; birds singing, wind whistling through the trees and cicadas calling for mates.

Serena sniffed and sat up straight, wiping her face with her dress sleeve. "It was really horrible, Daniel," she said with a thick voice, "What they did to me..."

Daniel leaned forward, placing his hand over hers to show his support.

"I-it was just a normal day like any other, and I wasn't disturbing anyone, just minding my own business…" Her eyes welled up again.

_Another warm sunny day. Another day alone._

_The break was such a lonely time. She walked by the lakeside, picking flowers. In this serene and peaceful place of the school, she could be left alone._

"But they didn't leave me alone. I don't know why, I guess they were bored..."

_She turned around as she heard voices and cheering. They were coming. She wanted to leave, but they didn't just come to enjoy the view of the lake. They surrounded her, they were yelling._

"_Bastard child with a bastard mum!"_

"_Go home to where you came from!"_

"_I heard that they do voodoo in the Indian land! She's a witch!"_

"_You and your family are not welcome here in England!"_

_Small pebbles hit her arms and legs, and it hurt._

Serena grabbed on to her arms, covering the small bruises. "They hate me," she whispered, "They wanted to kill me."

_She tried to escape the scene, but they had her encircled. They closed in, continuously throwing rocks at her. The girls were laughing. She did her best to keep the tears from falling. Regina had told her not to let them see her cry. They would mistake her for being weak. One of them pulled at her hair, and another at her dress. It tore._

"_Look at how cheap that is!" they laughed, "Can her father not even afford some decent dresses?"_

_She couldn't just let them insult her family. "My father has much more money than any of yours! You should watch your mouths!"_

_They became angry. "Oh, so you think you're better than us?" one of the girls said and pushed her, "Just because your family is the wealthiest?"_

_Another one pushed her even more aggressively than the other. "How stuck up you are! How dare you!"_

"_We thought you just wanted to be one of us? That you didn't want **special treatment**!" a third spat, pulling so hard at the poor girl's hair that she screamed. She didn't even notice that she had gotten so close to the lakeside. Her nice shoes slipped in the mud. She grabbed onto one of the girls' arms to keep her balance, but then they laughed and pushed her again._

_Next her body was immersed in cold, green darkness._

The tears streamed down Serena's face without her even noticing. She stared blankly at nothing. "I could still hear them laughing," she whispered.

_She could swim, but that wasn't enough. The dress was too heavy. She heard the girls laughing. They thought it was hilarious. Whenever she finally managed to get her head up to the surface, they just pushed her back in._

_She couldn't breathe. Everything around her was dark. Her body was tired. This was it._

_And all the while she still heard them laughing._

"But Professor Jones came and pulled me up, just in time," she said and looked down at her hands, her shoulders trembling, "I guess they were all very disappointed."

Daniel stared at her. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears. His fists were shaking. He was _furious_. Serena covered her face with her hands and started sobbing again. It was painful. Daniel didn't know what to say. She was so upset and he couldn't even do anything about it. No matter how much he wanted to change her situation and protect her, he couldn't. It was hard to face that fact.

He took a deep breath to get a hold of his anger before he put his arms around his friend and pulled her into a warm embrace. "I would've been very disappointed if Professor Jones hadn't pulled you up," he said quietly and rested his head on top of hers.

Serena grasped his shirt tightly. Her breathing stilled a bit. "Thank you, Daniel."

Daniel kept silent for a short while, feeling useless. He could do nothing but comfort her. He couldn't actually fix anything. He couldn't save her like Professor Jones did. If he had been there, he would've never let those girls near his darling Serena.

But he hadn't been there. He was never there.

He didn't notice that Serena had stopped crying. Suddenly she sat up again, wiping her swollen eyes. "So..." she began, forcing a gentle smile, "Tell me about Henrietta and the new house. How is it?"

Daniel caressed Serena's dry cheek. "It's horrible," he said, letting out an ironic laugh by the thought of how stupid it sounded. After Serena's story, his new way of living seemed like a vacation.

Serena also laughed, smiling a bit more sincerely this time. "It surely cannot be that bad?"

"She signed me up for a boarding school," he snorted, "Some prestigious one."

She frowned at him, "A prestigious boarding school? Wow, that does sound like a nightmare."

Daniel nudged her as she laughed. "You don't understand!" he said, though he couldn't hide his amusement himself, "It means that I won't be able to look after Hazel."

Serena's laughter subsided. "Oh," she said, giving him an apologetic look, "I see. That is no good."

"Exactly!" Daniel said, pouting, "Besides, my summer vacation will also be shorter now. I won't return home before late July."

"Oh no! Will we not be able to celebrate your birthday together then?" Serena said, looking genuinely horrified.

Daniel pulled at her arm to make her lie on his chest. She made herself comfortable as he put his arms around her once more, "I don't know yet."

* * *

Serena didn't stay to watch the sunset; she said her parents wanted her to be home for dinner. They probably had guests over.

Daniel wandered around the Blean for a while, not feeling like going home. He couldn't stop thinking about Serena and the horrible bullying she had been a victim of, so Henrietta was the last person he wanted to deal with right now.

He didn't spend so much time at home any more. He hated not being able to care for Hazel as much as he used to – especially after the bath incident – but he couldn't stand being near that woman for too long. She always meddled in everything he did! Maybe it was just that Daniel was used to his father being so careless. Either way, he would rather remain independent than having Henrietta stick her nose in his business all the time.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice someone coming up from behind him; he jumped when a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. "Wilkinson!" Henry said, his voice roaring in anger.

Daniel looked behind him, noticing instantly that his former classmate wasn't in a very pleasant mood. "Oh, hello Henry! How are you?" he said, feeling a bit nervous.

"My haunt," Henry narrowed his eyes, "I've noticed you've been slacking off. You didn't think that just because you're some rich kid now, you're suddenly exempt from your duties, right?"

"Slacking off?" Daniel snapped, "I would have been done by now if it hadn't been for your little tantrum last summer!"

Henry grabbed Daniel's collar and brought his face very close to his. "Don't act smart with me. I'm getting very impatient, Danny. Unless you want the whole town to know about your girlfriend, I suggest you finish it!"

He thrust Daniel backwards rather aggressively and spat on the ground between them before walking away. Daniel fisted his hands so hard his knuckles turned white. He considered for a moment if he should give in to his fury and punch Henry or keep cool and avoid trouble. When Henry walked out of sight, the decision was made for him.

* * *

Daniel didn't call Serena out on being busy the whole summer. He utilised the time to build Henry's clubhouse instead. He didn't even have fun building it any more. It had become nothing more than something to be over and done with. Some other ridiculous chore.

Henrietta asked him where he was going every time he went out. His answer was always the same; he told her that he was going to work at the miller's, even though most of the time he went to work on the club or see Serena. She was always so suspicious of him. Daniel didn't really care if she trusted him or not, but it would be nice if she would get off his case. He didn't know why she didn't just give up, he wasn't going to answer differently.

At least John wasn't home to reprimand Daniel every time he snapped at Henrietta. Daniel didn't know where he was; the old studio in the village had been closed down, so he couldn't be out there working. But it didn't even matter, for Daniel couldn't care less. John was nothing but a big traitor. He didn't need a father anyway.

Daniel didn't tell Henrietta that it was his birthday. He just went out to work on the clubhouse like he had been doing for most of the summer vacation. He was sure that she would have forced him to stay home if she had known. He would rather spend the day building Henry's damned club. The only good thing about the haunt was that it was an effective way for Daniel to vent out his anger. He didn't realise that he was pounding so loudly onto the nails.

"What in the world are you doing to that poor playhouse?"

Daniel turned around in shock. He had not expected this. For a moment he didn't know what to do with himself, but eventually he stammered out, "I-I'm building it."

Serena raised her eyebrows and placed her hands on her hips. "It looks more like you are tearing it down," she laughed, "With the way you are hammering, you are certainly going to crack the boards!"

He looked down at his hand holding the hammer, pursing his lips. She laughed again and shook her head. "Happy birthday," she said as she walked closer to him and pulled him into a hug.

He smiled and put his arms around her, feeling incredibly relieved. He hadn't even realised how much he had needed this. "Thanks."

Serena pulled back and began to examine the house. "Why are you even building this?" she said, "Another one of your father's crazy ideas?"

"No," Daniel sighed, "It's not my father's idea. I'm doing this for … eh, a friend."

She looked at him with a pout. "I thought I was your only friend!"

Daniel laughed and charmingly put his arm around her waist, a wry smile on his lips, "Are you jealous?"

Her cheeks blushed a bright pink colour as she tried to loosen Daniel's grip with her hands, "Why would I be jealous? Is it a girl?"

"Would you be jealous if it were a girl?" Daniel asked, playfully biting his lip.

Serena looked up at him. He could tell that a million thoughts were running through her head, it was unmistakable when looking in her eyes. She kept silent for a short while, then she turned around with a dismissive gesture, "As if!" Daniel laughed and shook his head. He loved teasing her.

She knocked on the half finished roof. "So, are you really going to spend your birthday building this thing?"

"I have to," he said with an apologetic smile, "It's a belated birthday gift."

Serena frowned. "To you? How is it a gift if you are building it?"

He laughed, shaking his head, "No, for the friend. He requester this more than a year ago..."

"Aha!" she said and pointed an accusing finger at him, "So it is _not_ a girl!"

Daniel crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Can we just move on?"

Serena laughed and picked up a nail from the toolbox. "All right then, let's get started!"

His eyes widened; he hurried over and grabbed her wrist. She looked at him with confusion. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he said, eyeing her suspiciously.

She merely laughed and took the hammer he was holding, "That we should start building, of course! You are such a dummy sometimes, Daniel."

"No way!" he said sharply, grabbing her other wrist, "You're not going to build nothing!"

"Why? What are you going to do, tell my mother?" she said and glared at him.

That was a good point. He didn't have anything he could hold against her. His bottom lip started quivering and his cheeks flushed. Serena couldn't contain her laughter by the sight. Daniel let go of her wrists and turned his back to her with crossed arms, clearly annoyed. "All right, then! Just don't come running to me when you break your nail and you need someone to kiss it better!"

Serena giggled as she put her arms around his neck from the back and rested her chin on his shoulder. "As if you wouldn't want to kiss me!"

She let go immediately afterwards. That comment had turned Daniel's knees to jelly for some reason he couldn't explain. He waited till he was sure that the blush on his face had disappeared completely before taking a deep breath and turning around to see what Serena was doing.

She picked up a wooden board and handed Daniel his hammer, "But it is no fun if we aren't going to do it together. You must've been insane if you thought that I was going to let you build this alone on your birthday!"

He smiled. This was Serena in a nutshell. Never missing out on Daniel's birthday. She had once told him the reason why she valued his birthday so much.

"_It's a special day because you came to the world! It should be celebrated!"_

His existence should be appreciated. She wanted to express how glad she was that Daniel was born.

_You **should** have been born._

Daniel grabbed the hammer, "Let's get to work."

* * *

He couldn't believe it. He had never thought that he would be able to finish it so quickly.

Daniel lay on his back and looked up into the roof. Serena was by his side, also eyeing their beautiful creation. He had managed to do it. He was finally free of Henry's blackmail.

Daniel had never even considered that it might actually take much less time if he had someone to assist him. He and Serena had spent the whole day building. Serena wasn't capable of doing much, but she handed him the tools, held the boards in place and just generally made the whole process much easier – and of course, a lot more fun. He sighed and closed his eyes. The sun hadn't even set yet. He still had time to spend with Serena. He felt so thankful.

"It has turned out quite all right, has it not?" Serena said with a gentle hum. They were both very tired.

Daniel merely nodded, not opening his eyes. He felt her move closer to him, and he put his arm out so that she could cuddle up to him. "It would be really nice if it were ours."

He opened his eyes and looked at her. She had her eyes closed, too. Her voice was merely a whisper now. "Happy birthday, Daniel…"

As Serena drifted off to sleep, Daniel was thinking. He liked the idea more and more. He smiled.


	13. King's School

**A/N:** Here we go with another chapter! I'm excited about this one, a lot of new characters are introduced! :D I just want to say for the record; excuse my French (literally). I don't speak French myself at all, so all of the phrases in this chapter are something I've looked up. I really hope that it makes sense in context with everything else, but if it's completely awful, please do call me out on it, and I will try to correct and improve as necessary. Also, I've done tons of research on the King's School and Canterbury, especially for this chapter, but as I've never been there myself - and definitely not during the 19th century - I cannot know for sure how everything looked and worked back then, so much of my description of the school is fiction mixed with facts, and I advice that it be just viewed as sort of a creative license, it is after all just a fanfiction (= Thanks to everyone who has been following my story so far!

* * *

The summer came to an end all too quickly. Daniel started missing Serena the second they said goodbye, and if it wasn't bad enough that he wouldn't see her for another year, he also had to say goodbye to his sister.

The whole house was in chaos. The servants were running from one end of the mansion to the other, reorganising it to fit the needs of the new family better. Daniel's room was nearly empty, all of his belongings already loaded onto the coach that was to take him to the school, including his new school uniform; the full Canterbury dress, as it was called. It was black, blue and white, the official colours of the school, and most certainly much neater than his old one.

Daniel found himself conflicted between hating that he had to leave Hazel behind and feeling relieved that he was finally free from Henry and his clubhouse. He spent his last hours at home in her room, trying to make up for the lack of attention he had shown her the past few months. "I don't want to go," he said, resting his head in his palm.

Hazel lay in her bed, looking at Daniel with a glance of melancholy. She didn't want him to go either. Even though she didn't have anything against Henrietta, she was uncomfortable with the thought of being left alone with her and John for so long. She was used to having Daniel around. She felt safe with him there.

But she didn't tell him. Instead she tried to cheer him up, "It'll be fine, Danny. I will write you letters and keep you updated! I'm sure you will have a good time and make a lot of new friends."

"I don't want new friends," Daniel said and looked at Hazel, "I'm fine with just Serena and you. I don't need other people in my life. Not even Father!"

The last comment had a tinge of strain to it, undeniably forced. She saw her older brother bite his lip. Even though he tried to act as if it didn't affect him, Hazel knew Daniel well enough to see that he was really hurt by their father's actions. She knew that he was hurt, and that was why she was able to forgive that he never was home any more, even if that left her completely alone. She put her hand over his and offered him a gentle smile. "What you have in life doesn't only have to be what you need," she said, "Sometimes it's fine to indulge. Even if you only need me and Serena, I'm sure it will be nice to have others as well."

Daniel sighed and stroked her hair. "We've grown up only attending to our needs," he said, a wry smile forming on his lips, "I'm not quite used to giving my desires any thought yet."

"It's about time, don't you think?" Hazel smiled.

He laughed and leaned forward to peck her on the forehead. "Since when did my baby sister become so wise, huh?"

She laughed and embraced him. "I'm going to miss you, Danny!"

"Not as much as I'm going to miss you."

"_**DANIEL! YOU'RE LEAVING NOW!**"_

Daniel cringed by the sound of John's roar resonating throughout the entire house. Hazel laughed at his expression. "Go now," she whispered, "Have fun, and remember to write me!"

* * *

It was the first time Daniel drove in such a fine carriage. Henrietta and John did not tag along, and he was thankful for that. Two single servants were sent with him, the butler, he had met on that Christmas evening one year ago – Charles, was his name – and a young errand boy named Edward Baker. Daniel didn't try to talk to either of them, he simply stared out the window at the country passing by as they neared town.

Daniel was calm. At first he had felt very nervous; how would the other students welcome him? Would he have any friends at all? Could he even keep up with the academic level? He had after all only gone to a simple grammar school run by the small village church. The teaching had not been so thorough, as it was mere charity for working class children.

But after exhausting himself with all those nerve-racking and completely unnecessary thoughts, he decided with himself that it didn't matter. He didn't have to make friends with anyone. He was just going there to educate himself. Nothing else. This decision made it all seem a bit more manageable. The expectations were gone, and he could focus.

As the coach strolled past the Westgate, the knot in his stomach started to form again, though. Even if he wanted to be careless, his subconscious was feeling differently. A single sweat drop fell from his forehead.

The Canterbury Cathedral was as tall and majestic as usual. The last time Daniel had been here, Henrietta and John were tying their knots. Not a very pleasant memory. But the carriage continued past the church, finally thundering into a gate placed a little ways behind it. The driveway was huge, and so were the buildings. Daniel stared out the window at all of the boys, both younger, older and the same age as him, running around, laughing, embracing each other and saying hello again after a long, well-deserved summer vacation.

Three buildings accompanied the first one, all looking as if they were taken out of a novel set in medieval times. It was in these buildings, St. Augustine of Canterbury first had started his school back when King Henry VIII had ruled. This was the King's School.

As soon as the coach stopped, Daniel climbed out. He looked around with wide eyes. Having completely forgotten how much he had detested the thought of going to this school at first, the only thing he felt now was awe.

"Mr. Wilkinson, sir, we will bring your luggage to your room now."

Daniel turned around to look at Charles and Edward. They were both carrying four large bags each, waiting patiently for Daniel to lead the way.

Suddenly he realised that he was the one in possession of the letter he had received from the school. It contained information on his room number as well as the curriculum for the semester, the order of his school uniform, the term dates and which class he was in. He fumbled in his pockets to find the piece of paper and unfolded it. "All right," he mumbled as he skimmed through the letter, "My room is number D13 in building three."

"Shall we go then?" Charles said and made a move to walk towards one of the smaller buildings on the right side of the main building. A move that looked very awkward.

Daniel grabbed on to some of the bags he carried, "You shouldn't carry all that by yourself. Let me take some of it, my arms work fine." Charles and Edward sent each other a glance before following the young boy to his chamber.

The building looked like it had been part of the Cathedral earlier. A long hallway with both walls, loft and floor made of bricks went from one end of the building to the other, and a flight of stairs led to another hallway on the next floor. But according to Daniel's letter, his room was placed on the ground floor. The boy led the way, checking the tags on the doors. A lot of boys his own age packed the hallway, and there was a lot of noise. Daniel was not at all used to such an atmosphere, but he didn't really mind it. The door showed up to his right. It was already open. "It's here!" he said, pointing at the door for the servants to see.

Charles and Edward stopped to allow Daniel to enter first. He peeked inside the room, seeing not one, but two beds in the small space, including a desk between them and two wardrobes. The bed by the window was already occupied by several bags and a single life-sized puppet with a real mess of brown, curly hair covering its whole head. Daniel walked into the room and put his bags on the unoccupied bed, when suddenly the doll jumped up, causing Daniel's heart to nearly jump all the way up his throat. "Don't take my bed!"

"Whoa!" Daniel exclaimed, sitting down on the opposite bed.

The puppet wasn't an actual puppet – it was a real live boy that apparently had just woken from a nap. He removed his wild bangs from his head and revealed a set of really large brown eyes, a snub nose and some protruding front teeth. All in all, the boy's face reminded Daniel of a rodent. He was so small and skinny that Daniel had mistaken him for being inanimate.

The boy turned his gaze from Daniel to the two servants by the door. Then he looked back at Daniel again, pointing a finger at him, "I want the bed by the window! Don't you dare take it!"

Daniel held up his hands in a calming gesture, "I won't take your bed! Don't worry!"

Charles and Edward walked into the room and put the bags down by the bed, Daniel sat on. "Do you need any more help, Mr. Wilkinson?" Charles said, eyeing the strange boy.

He shook his head, "No, thank you. You can go home." Daniel rummaged through one of his smaller bags and pulled out a letter. He handed it to Charles, "Give this to Hazel when you return!"

"As you wish, Mr. Wilkinson," Charles said and bowed his head, "I bid you a nice stay at the school. We'll see each other again soon."

Charles and Edward left the room again. Daniel sighed and turned to look at the small boy opposite him. _And I thought that I was skinny_, he thought, raising an eyebrow.

The boy frowned at him, almost in a hostile manner. "What are _you_ looking at?"

Daniel widened his eyes. "N-nothing!" He tried to approach him in differently, "Um, so what is your name? Mine is Daniel."

The large brown orbs eyed him suspiciously. "My name is Benjamin. Benjamin Wood."

He gave Benjamin a tentative smile. "Nice to meet you! I guess you caught my surname earlier. We are going to be room mates, right?"

Benjamin's eyes scanned Daniel's bags, still looking very suspicious. "Yes." The boy made him nervous. He didn't know if this was the best first impression he had gotten of the school so far. Benjamin seemed like a really weird kid.

Daniel looked around the room, pursing his lips. He didn't know what to say, and it would be rude to just leave the room. The silence was very awkward.

"Do you want to see my snails?"

He looked perplexed at the smaller boy. "You keep snails as _pets?"_

Benjamin grinned, his teeth looking as if they would make the whole of his head fall to the floor due to the heavy size of them. "Yes, they're the best! I hide them in a box behind the stables. The Headmaster cannot give me a note about them because they're not _really_ pets, so I'm technically allowed to have them here."

"Have you gotten a note about your pets before?" Daniel said, frowning.

"Well, only the ones that were discovered," Benjamin said, swinging his legs back and forth, "I'm pretty sure no one has found Patterson yet. I lost him on my first year."

Daniel didn't like the sound of that. "And what might Patterson be?"

Benjamin tilted his head and looked up towards the loft casually, way too casually for what his next words would turn out to be, "My South American boa!"

Daniel's eyes widened. Knowing that an exotic, possibly venomous snake was roaming the school grounds didn't make him feel safe at all. His new room mate was definitely not a good sign. He didn't know what to expect of this coming year.

* * *

It didn't take long before the school bell rang to announce dinner. All of the boys gathered in front of the main building, walking inside and seating themselves in the great dining hall.

Daniel followed Benjamin, who had lost his hostile attitude and now chattered heartily about all of his strange interests. Not only was he very fond of reptiles and insects, he found the human body interesting and apparently had no problem studying droppings and vomit. Daniel felt sick by the mere thought of it, but he didn't know anyone else on the school so far, so he had no choice but to stay by his room mate's side.

"So I actually found out that Joseph had tapeworm before the vet even arrived!" Benjamin snickered. It sounded more like a grunt than a laugh. "What do you say, Daniel, isn't that just neat?"

Daniel nodded with a stiff motion, trying his best to block out the picture of how Benjamin figured out that his father's dog had a tapeworm infection. He looked around in the hall, hoping that the Headmaster would start his speech soon so that he wouldn't have to listen to any more of Benjamin's atrocious stories.

"Hello Benji, who's your friend?"

He turned around to look in Benjamin's direction again. A very tall boy – even a bit taller than Henry – with an athletic figure and long, jet black hair sat down by Benjamin's side. He had a bright and charming smile.

Benjamin hiccuped, "Why, good day, Christopher! It sure is nice to see you again! This is my new room mate, Daniel."

Christopher held out his hand for Daniel to shake. "Hi Daniel. It's nice to meet you. My name is Christopher Knight."

Daniel couldn't help but notice how piercing his crystal blue eyes were. He felt a little better, meeting a boy that actually seemed normal. He smiled and shook Christopher's hand, "Nice to meet you, too."

Just then, another group of boys came striding, obviously teasing each other. The tallest one of them, a gangly redhead with freckles and a mischievous smile, grabbed the shorter one with round glasses and made a mess of his slick, brown hair. "Ow, come on, Timmy! My mum spent an hour doing it!"

Christopher laughed, "It's good to see you, lads. As much of a trouble maker as always, right, Timothy?"

The boy with the bright red hair winked at Christopher and sat down across from him. The boy with the glasses and now messy hair, and the third boy that accompanied them, sat down beside him. The third boy looked at Daniel with curious almond eyes, that somewhat reminded Daniel of Serena's, and fluffy brown hair. "Hey, are you the new boy? Daniel Wilkinson, right?" His dialect was slightly different, more rounded than the others'.

"Wilkinson? The family that Henrietta Evans married into?"

Daniel looked up at a newly arrived boy, one with well-groomed blond hair, blue eyes and a cocky smile. Just by his radiation, Daniel could tell that he was the leader type. The boy with glasses looked at Daniel with wide eyes. "Is that so? How exciting! I don't think I've introduced myself properly, my name is Harvey Steele."

The blonde boy sat down beside Daniel and shook his hand, "Welcome to King's School. I am Everett Hammond, son of George Hammond. I'm sure you've heard of the paper production that my father owns."

Daniel didn't know what to do with himself. Suddenly there was a lot of new impressions that he had to process, and he barely even had the chance to answer anyone before one of the lively boys spoke up. The redhead also reached over to shake Daniel's hand, "Hi Daniel! My name is Timothy Clancy Moore, but you can just call me Timmy, that's what everyone else does!"

"And I'm Owen Wright," the gentle boy with the almond, deep brown eyes said. His fluid accent and calm demeanour made his voice sound almost soothing.

Daniel smiled tentatively at everyone, "Um, hello... It's really nice to meet all of you."

"See, you've overwhelmed him!" Christopher laughed, reaching past Benjamin to pat Daniel's shoulder, "Try and give the poor guy some space!"

Harvey adjusted his glasses, "But is it really true that your father is the man who married Mrs. Evans?"

"Don't you mean Mrs. Wilkinson now?" Timmy said, Harvey nudging him in the side as he laughed.

Daniel nodded, feeling very awkward being the object of attention. Everett put an arm around Daniel's shoulders, making him turn his attention to the charming boy. "Tell us, Daniel," he said, giving Daniel a smile that he could already tell would mean trouble, "Are the rumours about her true?"

The whole group of boys gasped. "Everett!" Harvey said with disbelief, "You don't ask such things! It's rude!"

"I actually want to know, too," Timmy said and leaned forward to stare at Daniel expectantly.

"I don't know, to be honest," Daniel said quickly, hoping that Everett would remove his arm from his shoulder. It made him feel uncomfortable.

Owen rested his chin in his palm, "Aren't you scared for your father? Don't you wonder if she might murder him like she did poor Mr. Evans?"

"Come on, Owen!" Harvey said, as insulted as Daniel should be, but wasn't.

"It's all right," he said with a small smile, "But I'd rather not talk about it." The boys fell silent, looking thoughtfully at Daniel. He turned his gaze to his lap, feeling sort of naked. He hadn't expected everyone to already know who he was. He felt completely out of his comfort zone, even though the boys seemed nice so far.

"It's fair if you don't want to talk about it." It was Christopher who broke the silence, "Sometimes Everett crosses the line a bit. He likes to do that." Christopher sent Everett an indicative look, and Everett grinned charismatically in response.

"Yes, it's completely fair," Timmy nodded, while Harvey adjusted his glasses once again.

"We apologise for meddling like that," Owen said. He brushed his curly long bangs out of the way so that he could look at Daniel.

Daniel smiled back at him, sincerely this time. "Don't mind it." Benjamin just looked back and forth at all of the boys with an eager look, like a dog looking for attention. None of the boys noticed him, though.

"Silence!" a voice rang through the hall, and all the noise subsided. Daniel turned to look up at the platform where the small group of professors were assembled. The Headmaster, a man in a cassock and with thin dark hair, stood up to talk. "Welcome back to King's School once again!"

* * *

"_Bonjour_, boys," Monsieur Le Grand said, "It's good to see you all again." He was a short man with sharp grey eyes and slicked back dark hair, a few grey strands barely visible. The features on his face were unusually prominent, his nose resembling a bird's beak.

Daniel hadn't had a problem with French earlier, but he didn't know if his knowledge could compete with any of the students here. Maybe they were much more fluent than him. He had placed himself on the back row to avoid getting any attention on the first day of school. Timmy and Owen had waved at him to sit down beside them. Christopher and Everett sat in the front of the class, seemingly having a good time.

Le Grand eyed the class. As his gaze stalled by Everett, the boy stopped what he was doing to give the professor a flashing smile. "I trust you had a good vacation, Mr. Hammond," the teacher said, his thick French accent coating each and every word.

"Indeed, Monsieur," Everett grinned, the other boys giggling.

Daniel held his breath. Back in the village school, a boy would have been harshly punished for such impudence. Everett sure had some nerves!

But Le Grand merely smiled, "I'm glad. Maybe you'll behave yourself this year, then."

The class laughed. Daniel was astounded. Things were really very different here. Le Grand turned towards his desk, stroking his small goatee as he chuckled. "All right, boys, now quiet down," he said, the French dialect seeping through to such an extent that it was impossible not to notice, "I see we have a new student in our class."

Daniel wanted to disappear. He tried to hide his face discreetly behind his hands while Timmy nudged at his side. "Ah yes," the Frenchman said, "A Mr. Daniel Wilkinson, is it not?"

He tried to remain unnoticed, but the boys had other plans for him. Everett turned around in his seat, looking at Daniel with a mischievous smile – almost as if he knew that he was about to make Daniel very uncomfortable on purpose. "Yes, that would be our lovely new friend."

All the boys in the class turned to look at the new boy. Daniel felt a lot of eyes on him. He hated the attention. He felt like an animal being exposed in the local zoo. Le Grand smiled, "_Bienvenue_, Mr. Wilkinson. I'm sure you will feel at home here. Hopefully you'll prove to be an – ah, _excellent_ addition to the class."

Daniel offered a strained smile, trying to block out the mumbling he heard around the class.

"Wilkinson? Isn't that the family that Henrietta Evans married into?"

"Why is he wincing like that? He should know we won't bite!"

"His hair looks really nice, doesn't it?"

"I wonder if his father has a lot of money."

He definitely hated the attention.

* * *

It seemed that the level at this school wasn't very different from his old one – and that meant that it was actually no problem for Daniel to keep up. He was just as surprised as the others. Christopher and Everett placed themselves close to the other boys to work with them. "Wow Daniel, you're not half bad," Christopher said as Daniel finished reciting the bit of French literature the boys had to read and translate in groups.

"Your accent is really good," Owen commented.

Daniel merely shrugged. "I've read excerpts of _Les Liaisons __Dangereuses_ before," he said, "It shouldn't be too difficult to translate this one."

"Can you help me with my translation?" Timmy said, looking at Daniel with pleading blue eyes. Everett didn't utter a word. He merely observed as the other boys talked.

Daniel smiled at Timmy, "Of course! I'll help you!"

"Daniel, the new Frenchman of the class," Christopher chuckled, turning the page of the book.

"You know, Daniel," Everett said, "My family has an estate down in southern France. I've spent summers down there. I wonder if your French is better than mine."

He looked at Everett, not really knowing how to respond. He gave him a tentative smile, "It probably isn't. I have never really had the need to use my French before..."

Everett narrowed his eyes for just a second. It was so brief that Daniel wondered if he had just imagined it. Then he smiled brightly, laughing, "You know what? It probably is! Those Frenchmen always misunderstood what I said, there must have been a reason for that."

The other boys laughed, shaking their heads at their friend. Daniel felt confused at first at the sudden change of mood, but then decided to just laugh along with the others.

"Now, _g__arçons__!"_ Le Grand said, slamming his hand down on the desk they sat by, "Focus!"

"Yes, Monsieur," they all said. Owen winked at Daniel.

As the professor strode away, Timmy turned his attention to Daniel again, "All right, this first part; _Alors__je__commençai__ à __déployer__sur__ le grand __Théâtre__les__ talents __que__je__m'étais__donnés… _I understand some of it, but I need help."

* * *

Daniel ended up doing more of Timmy's homework than his own. Timmy was easily distracted, always poking fun at the others around him. Daniel didn't want to call him out on it, though; he wasn't one to be a mood killer. Timmy was so grateful for Daniel's help that he dragged him out into the town when they had their break to go buy sweets.

"Are you going to buy toffee at Mrs. Bell's?" Daniel asked.

"Indeed, she's the best!" Timmy said while counting his pence, "She once gave me a whole mince pie for free! I'm a very loyal customer of hers!" He flashed his big teeth at Daniel. It surprised him that they were still so white despite of all the sweets Timmy ate.

It took no time to walk down to the candy store. The school was right behind the Cathedral, and the Cathedral was right next to the Buttermarket. The store wasn't very crowded today. Mrs. Bell had just finished tending to a customer as she immediately noticed Timmy, "Oh, Timothy! It's so nice to see you again, did you have a nice summer vacation?"

"I did, thank you, Mrs. Bell!" Timmy beamed.

"You've grown even taller! When are you going to get some meat on those bones?" the plump woman said, pinching Timmy's chubby cheeks – the only chubby part on him.

Apparently Timmy didn't find it annoying at all. Nothing could put out his high spirit. "Just keep feeding me, Mrs. Bell, then I'm sure it will start forming soon!"

Mrs. Bell chuckled heartily and shook her head. She finally noticed Daniel, "Who's your little friend? You look like you could also use some filling, sweetheart."

"This is Daniel, he's new at our school!" Timmy said excitedly, "And he's fluent in French!"

Daniel blushed. "I'm not _fluent_…"

Mrs. Bell tightened the ribbon around her messy bun that was nearly falling out, "That is nice. Are you from the surrounding area, Daniel?"

"Yes... Actually, I've been to your store earlier," he said, smiling shyly, "I love your English toffee, Mrs. Bell."

"Oh, isn't that just adorable!" Mrs. Bell chortled, now pinching Daniel's cheek. Strangely enough, he didn't mind it. "You both should have a free bag! I'm always happy to see young men with such good manners in my shop!"

Daniel and Timmy left the store sharing a bag of English toffee, the kind that Daniel loved so much. It really wasn't too bad. Daniel could get used to this new way of living.

* * *

Henry eyed the house. He heard a buzzing in his ears, a very agitating noise. It just wouldn't seem to stop.

The clubhouse had turned out quite nice. It didn't collapse, even as Henry pounded his fist into it in sheer anger. It just stood there without even trembling, _mocking_ Henry.

The sound of his grinding teeth also annoyed him. But he couldn't stop.

_It's very neat, Daniel_, he thought, _It's just __**perfect**__!_ He kicked the house, but it remained still, firm as a bloody oak.

Daniel had actually managed to finish the house. It had turned out much better than Henry had expected it to. He had thought that he might be able to exhaust the haunt a bit more if it hadn't been as stable, but that clearly wasn't an option now. It seemed that the house would be able to withstand both storms and hurricanes.

He couldn't believe that Daniel had just run off to some expensive boarding school. It was as if he enjoyed making a fool out of Henry.

_I'm not done, Daniel_, he thought, his promise dripping sheer hate, _I still know your secret._

* * *

_My dearest older brother,_

_Now it is time for me to show you just how good I've gotten at writing. Henrietta's housemaid, Miss Turner, says that my handwriting is very pretty. She is teaching me to draw the letters in a neat cursive style, do you like it?_

_The house really is very quiet without you here, even though you weren't around that much anyway. Henrietta has brought it upon herself to teach me at home. She said that she would rather make sure that I am schooled properly than trust some governess to do it. That is very nice of her, is it not?_

_I still don't see Father around. He's never home. I want to ask Henrietta about it, but I can't bring myself to it. I feel like I'm not supposed to ask questions._

_I'm very bored these days, for I am confined to my bed. Doctor Barton visits me often, always under the supervision of Henrietta. It's because I've started to have some minor seizures again, but don't worry about it, Daniel. I am fine most of the time, and I receive medicine to make me feel better every time I experience any sort of pain. It's just really boring being in my room all day, but the fairytale books, you left at home for me, keep me entertained._

_I really hope that you are having a good time at your new school. Have you made any friends? Are they being nice to you? I'm sure you've already impressed everyone with your wide knowledge. It saddens me that you won't return home this vacation, but we'll see each other again for Christmas._

_I miss you, Daniel. Stay strong. I can't wait to hear about your school._

_With love,_

_Hazel_

Daniel pursed his lips, skimming through the letter once again.

The two first months at the school had gone by much quicker than Daniel had thought they would. He had tried to keep a low profile, and it had worked out well so far. He had not really gotten acquainted with anyone else other than the boys in his class, and of course the boys he had met on the first day. He talked mostly to Harvey, Owen and Timmy. Christopher and Everett were very close and did everything together. Benjamin was a bit sporadic and all over the place. No one could figure the small boy out; he was rather unpredictable.

On one of the first few days, Daniel had had a talk with the Headmaster, Reverend George Wallace. He bid Daniel welcome to the school, commenting that he wasn't the only one that was new; Wallace had just taken over the position as headmaster this very year.

Now that the half term was finally here, two months seemed like way too long a wait, though. Henrietta and John had decided that Daniel should stay at the school for the first vacation, just to settle in a little better before going home. It was ridiculous. He had settled in fine, he didn't need to stay at the school for another ten weeks. He wanted to go home to Hazel.

But there was nothing to do. As he read through Hazel's letter a third time, his hands crumbled the paper slightly.

Benjamin pounded on his clothes to fit it into the bag. He jumped on top of it to squeeze it down, but the light weight of the boy didn't help very much. He sighed and turned his gaze to his room mate sitting by the desk between their beds. "It's really too bad that you can't go home, Daniel," he said without sounding sorry at all, "I would be devastated if I had to stay here! But my humble reason is that my father bought me a chameleon. I just can't wait to meet it!"

Daniel turned towards Benjamin, forcing a smile. Being room mates with Benjamin had been a bit of a struggle. Not only was he very chatty whenever they were alone – and the topics he chose to talk about were not very appetising, to say the least – but he also snored and grunted in his sleep.

Daniel had a hard time sleeping here. He didn't want to tell Benjamin about his fear of the dark, so he had to endure it until Benjamin was sound asleep. Luckily Benjamin was a heavy sleeper, so Daniel could light the candle on his bed stand once he was sure that he wouldn't wake his room mate. But even with the light on, there was the noise Benjamin made. He snored so loudly that it was difficult to fall asleep either way. Daniel only got a few hours of sleep every night. He missed sharing rooms with Hazel. He sighed. "That sounds lovely, Benjamin."

"Yes, doesn't it? I'm so excited!" Benjamin stood up, trying to close his bag once again.

Daniel smiled, standing up. "Let me help you with that."

* * *

The school grounds were very quiet once all the students had left to go home to their families. Everything seemed much larger when the halls were empty.

Daniel wandered around near the paddocks right outside the town, breathing in the fresh air. The school had their own stables and horses. He had heard that some of the boys even brought their own. The equestrian classes would start after the half term. Daniel felt nervous about it. He had never been taught how to ride a horse.

He knew that it was something that any respectable gentleman should be able to do, but he hadn't had the opportunity. What if he would fall off the animal and make a fool out of himself? Or even get hurt? He tried to push the thought aside. He would worry about that bridge when he had to cross it.

"Hi, Daniel!"

Daniel turned around. Owen came walking up to him, waving. He smiled, "Hello Owen. Have you not gone home yet?"

"No, I'm staying here for the half term," he said, leaning against the fence of the paddock to watch the grazing horses, "I always stay at the school during these short vacations."

"Oh? Why is that?" Daniel asked curiously, noticing one of the horses coming their way.

Owen patted the horse's strong neck, "My family is from Hereford. I'm a long way from home, you see, so it ain't worth the while travelling all the way there when the vacation is so short anyway."

Daniel nodded, "I did notice that your dialect is different. Don't you ever get homesick?"

Gentle brown eyes glanced at Daniel. "Sure I do," he said, "But the school is sort of my second home. I just try to get the most out of it and not dwell on the negative aspects."

Daniel smiled at his classmate, "Well, at least we're not alone."

Owen laughed and combed his brown curls back with his hand. "What do you say we go into town and look around for a bit?"

* * *

Daniel and Owen spent their vacation together. Only ten other boys stayed at the school, but none of them were from their year group. Daniel moved into Owen's room; Owen's room mate had also gone home to his family for the vacation, so it wouldn't harm anyone if Daniel took up the space in the meantime.

"Did he seriously get you to build a house for him?" Owen laughed, settling in his bed.

Daniel grimaced, staring up at the ceiling. "Not a real house. Just a small one, like a playhouse." As Owen continued to laugh, Daniel threw his pillow at him, "Stop laughing! You don't understand, I had to!"

"I'm sorry, Daniel, but you gotta admit it sounds a bit ridiculous," Owen said.

"He's a devil child, I tell you!" Daniel answered, also amused.

"He sounds like one. Henry, was it? Did you have any other friends as, um, _charming_ as him at your old school?" Owen chuckled, lying on his stomach.

Daniel placed his arms behind his head. He had grown closer to Owen this half term. They had spent every day together, fooling around and getting to know each other. Owen had told him about his family and about the cottage they owned in a small village in the outskirts of Canterbury. They celebrated Christmas there every year to spare Owen the long trip home to Herefordshire only to stay for such a short while.

Daniel had also told him about John and Hazel, but he avoided going into detail about Henrietta. It was obvious that everyone already knew about the rumours surrounding her, and he honestly didn't want to be questioned about it.

He felt strangely comfortable talking to Owen about all of these personal matters. He reminded Daniel of Serena a little bit, but he guessed that it was mostly the warm brown eyes. His personality was a lot more easygoing than Serena's.

But despite of feeling that he could trust the gentle boy, he didn't want to risk anything. They had only known each other for two months. It would be best to stay on the side of caution, so he didn't tell him about his secret summertime friend. "I've never really had time to play with other children," he said, "Before my father's marriage, we didn't have a lot of money. So I had to work, help out in the house and take care of my sister." It wasn't a lie.

Owen nodded thoughtfully. "I can't imagine how exhausting that must be," he said in awe, "I think all of the boys here come from somewhat wealthy middle-class families. We never had to work, we had servants." He grinned and added, "I feel like a spoiled brat now!"

Daniel smiled at Owen, "Don't. Be grateful of what you have. Some aren't as lucky."

"I guess I shouldn't be so harsh on myself," he said, laughing at his own sarcasm, "Besides, Everett is way more spoiled than I am."

"Is he even … reliable?" Daniel asked, feeling a bit insecure. It was kind of moving out on thin ice asking a question like that.

"Don't worry, he's a nice guy once you get to know him," Owen said, drawing figures in the air with his slender fingers, "He can appear a little arrogant at first, but he's really a lot of fun! He always comes up with these genius hoaxes and dares."

Daniel nodded, relief filling him. "I see. He is very close to Christopher, right?"

Owen turned his gaze towards Daniel with a laugh, "Oh, so you've noticed. They have been glued together ever since the first year. "

Daniel also laughed. "It's difficult not to. They are rather … loud."

"Christopher is brilliant. No one knows the ladies like he does," Owen laughed and winked at Daniel, "If you ever need advice, just ask him. He's not so shy to share his experiences."

Daniel blushed, trying to steer the attention back on Owen, "Do _you_ ever need his advice?"

Even though it was hard to tell in the dim light of the candle, there was no denying that Owen's face flushed bright red. "Why would I need it? I do fine by myself!"

Daniel laughed. "Please!" he said, turning on to his side, "We won't be able to do much anyway. A lady is not supposed to engage in any intimacy before marriage."

Owen raised his eyebrows and looked at Daniel with a sly grin. "You would be surprised at just how many lassies who are willing anyway."

Daniel widened his eyes. He was dumbfounded. "Really?" he said, "Are you serious?"

"As long as no one finds out, they love to fool around a little bit," Owen nodded.

Daniel tried to find the words. He had never thought that anything like that was ever heard of. His voice turned to a whisper, "Have _you_ been intimate with a girl?"

Owen blushed again. "Well, actually I haven't," he said, fidgeting with the fringes on his duvet, "I haven't gone all the way, at least."

"But you have done other … eh, acts?" Daniel said with wide eyes, feeling astounded.

The boy with the fluffy hair grinned at Daniel once more, "I told you that I don't need Christopher's advice!"

Daniel gaped at him, feeling thunderstruck. It was kind of … awe-inspiring. "I wonder," he said, as he turned around to lie on his back again, "if Christopher has ever managed to go all the way."

"I think he has," Owen said thoughtfully, "Perhaps Everett, too. But not Timmy or Harvey. They're as innocent as newborn puppies. And I doubt that Benjamin has ever been in close proximity of anyone other than his own mum!" They both laughed; that seemed plausible.

The room fell silent for a while. Daniel was thinking. He had never imagined that anything like that was possible in his age. When he had talked to John about it, his father had only mentioned how a man and woman were to be together once they were married. He didn't make it seem like an option that one could lie with a lady without it leading to a baby.

"So you haven't even kissed a girl?"

Daniel looked at Owen. His dark eyes glinted in the candlelight, looking at him curiously. He shook his head.

"What about dancing?" he asked.

"I've danced with a girl before," Daniel said, thinking back on the first summer he had spent with Serena, "But there was nothing romantic about it."

Owen laughed at his last comment. "Oh Daniel, dancing is merely the first act," he said.

Daniel looked at Owen, pondering what he had said. What was that supposed to mean? And if dancing was the first act, then what was the next?

Owen yawned and sat up to blow out the candle. "It's getting late. We should go to sleep."


	14. Estranged

**A/N:** Hey guys! Sorry that I took a week longer to update than usual, but I'm so busy with school and everything atm, so I'll probably only update every other week from now on. Still, I hope you'll stick with me! As always, I appreciate all the great support you've shown me, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter! :D

* * *

Autumn had settled in good. The air in Canterbury was definitely not warm any more, but that is what one would expect when being so close to the Atlantic Ocean. At least Canterbury wasn't a seaport like Ramsgate or Dover.

Daniel stood in line between Owen and Timmy, nervously observing as the professor examined the horses. The class had already saddled them and brought them out to the riding ground. Now Professor Hill had to make sure that all of the horses had been curried thoroughly and that the harness was fastened correctly.

Daniel had been given a chestnut gelding named Charlie. In Daniel's opinion, the horse was way too tall for him, but Hill had assured him that he was the right size.

As Hill tucked on Charlie's saddle, he stopped. Daniel felt a pricking in his stomach. The professor seemed to study the horse a bit closer. "Whose horse is this?" he said, obviously having forgotten that he himself had assigned it to Daniel.

Daniel awkwardly held up his hand, "Um, it's mine, professor." Some of the other boys giggled.

Hill crossed his arms and nodded. "I see. Well, Mr. Wilkinson, will you please come and demonstrate how you mount your horse?"

Daniel gulped, not feeling like getting near the horse at all. Owen nudged him forward, giving him a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath and walked closer to Hill and the horse.

Everett poked at Christopher. They both snickered.

Daniel stopped in front of Charlie. His eyes were calm and gentle, much like Owen's. He did not look like he could harm anyone, but Daniel bitterly reminded himself of all the stories he had heard about people being trampled to death by horses.

"Will you please, Mr. Wilkinson?" Hill urged, gesturing to the stirrup on the gelding's right side.

"Eh..." Daniel laughed nervously and brushed his hair behind his ear, "I don't actually know how to mount a horse..." Again the other boys laughed, louder this time. Daniel thought that he heard Everett's laughter clearer than the others.

"You just place your foot in the stirrup and drag yourself up," Hill said, losing his patience, "Mount the horse, Wilkinson."

Daniel did as he was told. He carefully put his foot in the stirrup, but was corrected by Hill to place it further back so that only the toe would have hold on it and the heel could be pressed down. He took a deep breath and lifted himself off the ground to pull himself up on the horse – only to find himself falling backwards as the saddle sled sidewards to Charlie's flank. He landed on the ground, completely stunned, while Charlie stamped in discomfort.

Now the whole class was laughing hysterically. Even Timmy and Owen couldn't contain their laughter. Professor Hill chuckled, also very amused. "Do you see, Daniel?" he said, "That is the consequence of not tightening the harness correctly. Imagine if you had been galloping down the highway and suddenly fell off the horse!"

Daniel quickly stood up again, rubbing his arms. He had not felt so embarrassed in a long time. How was he supposed to know how to tighten the harness anyway? He had never been near a horse before!

"All right, all right," Hill laughed and gestured for the other boys to quiet down, "One of you boys, help Daniel tighten the saddle properly so we can start the class."

All of the boys went to their respective horses. Owen and Timmy walked over to Daniel. "Come on, Dan, it could have happened to the best of us," Timmy said encouragingly as Owen fixed the saddle. Daniel merely glared at him. That was easy enough for him to say, he hadn't just involuntarily been made the clown of the morning class.

Christopher walked up to the boys and patted Charlie on his neck, "Hey Daniel, are you all right? Professor Hill can be a bit crude at times."

Daniel sighed and caressed the horse's soft muzzle. "I'm fine. It's just that I've never had anything to do with horses before."

"Don't feel bad about it," Christopher smiled, "You'll learn it! Horses are kind and loyal animals. I'm sure you'll grow fond of them in no time."

"Hey, Daniel!" The boys turned around. Everett stood by the side of his majestic Hackney horse. "Do you want to see how one mounts their horse?" he laughed. He put his foot in the stirrup and elegantly pulled himself up on the horse with no kind of accident like that of Daniel's occurring.

Everyone laughed besides Daniel. "Come on, Everett," Christopher said, "Don't be a jerk!" Everett smiled brightly at Daniel. He couldn't tell if it was well meant, though.

"All right, it should be safe for you to mount good ol' Charlie now," Owen said and patted the horse's hindquarters.

Daniel smiled, "Thanks, Owen."

"Boys, will you please mount your horses now!" Professor Hill yelled.

Daniel's friends left to take care of their own horses. He took a deep breath and placed his foot in the stirrup once again. This time, he was able to drag himself up on the horse without any problems.

* * *

Daniel felt sort of estranged from the other boys after the incident. They treated it as if it were nothing, but he wasn't fine. Despite of Everett laughing at him, they still wanted to be around him, even Owen. But it didn't matter; he didn't come to make friends with everyone anyway. Daniel decided to follow his original plan and just focus on his grades and education. He didn't want to get in trouble, and he definitely didn't want to be humiliated once again.

As Daniel walked out of the main building to go to his room, he saw the boys in the yard. He quickly hid behind the corner. "Benjamin," Everett said, pulling at the small boy's blazer, "Tell me more about your snails."

The boys laughed. Benjamin's big eyes looked around them, searching. Everett pushed him, a bit too harshly in Daniel's opinion. Harvey grabbed Benjamin to keep him from falling, "Whoa, there you go."

"You don't still keep them, do you?" Christopher said, frowning.

Benjamin stepped closer to the tall boy, seeking comfort. "I do. I want to keep them always. I love them!"

Everett burst into a loud laughter. Christopher's expression changed into one of pity. "But I don't think they like being held captive, Benji. I think they would be happier if they were free. Snails are not mean to be pets."

Benjamin looked up at Christopher with big pleading brown eyes. Timmy patted his shoulder, "I think Chris is right, Benjamin."

Everett pushed Benjamin again in the direction of the stables. "Come, let's go set the snails free." As the boys followed Benjamin to find the snails, Everett sent the others a look of derision. Christopher elbowed his side, and the blonde rolled his eyes.

Daniel shook himself. He was glad that the boys didn't notice him. He felt so bad for Benjamin. He didn't like Everett's behaviour one bit. How he always seemed to be mocking someone weaker than himself. He tried to block out what he had just seen. Hopefully it wasn't anything worse than friendly teasing among boys.

Later in the evening Benjamin returned to their room, apparently in a good mood again. Daniel couldn't figure him out at all. Benjamin skipped in, immediately starting to change into his pyjamas. "Hello Daniel, how has your day been?"

Daniel looked up from the desk where he was doing his homework. "Um, it has been good. What about yours?" he said, tapping his pencil against his cheek.

The boy made one of his strange jumps. "It has been just wonderful, I'm glad you asked!"

Green eyes observed him with a look of doubt. "Are you sure?"

Benjamin tilted his head, obviously completely oblivious to what Daniel was referring to. "Yes, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Daniel shook his head and turned towards his homework again. "Never mind."

He felt the big brown eyes stare at his back for a minute, but soon Benjamin continued to get ready for bed. As he disappeared out the door to go brush his teeth in the common bathroom, Daniel moved his focus from the sheets of paper in front of him to the moon outside the window and sighed.

* * *

Daniel wasn't pleased to find out that the Christmas vacation started just right after Hazel's birthday. He had assumed that he would be home to celebrate it with her, but there was no way that John and Henrietta would let him leave the school earlier.

It was not that he hadn't tried. He had talked to Headmaster Wallace about it, and he had said that if he could have a permission from his parents in writing with a signature, Daniel would be allowed to leave the school legally.

So Daniel wrote home in order to get one. He didn't want Hazel to be alone on her birthday. He had written in his last letter to her that he would be there. He couldn't just break his promise. Just a few days before his sister's birthday, he received his answer. He sat down by his desk and tore open the envelope to read it.

_My darling Daniel,_

_I realise that it is very difficult for you to be away from your sister in such a time when she is weak, but you must attend to your school. I cannot allow you to go home just because you don't want to miss out on her birthday._

_Don't feel that you are letting her down. I have talked to Hazel, and she is completely understanding of the situation. She knows just as well as you and I that your education is important._

_This is why I won't send you a permission. I hope you understand. You'll see Hazel again in a week, Daniel. You can congratulate her on her nine years then._

_Enjoy the last few days at your school._

_Best regards,_

_Henrietta Wilkinson_

Daniel felt his blood boil. It was bad enough that he didn't get the permission, but it was even _Henrietta_ that didn't give it to him. As if she had the authority to decide for herself if Daniel should have it or not without John's consent. He could almost hear her mocking, snobbish voice recite the letter to him.

He crumbled the paper and threw it in the dustbin. _Such trash!_

* * *

Hazel stared out of the window from her bed. It had started to snow. Everything was so bright and beautiful outside, a winter wonderland. She looked down at the letter from her brother again and sniffed. Her eyes were moist.

She knew that it was incredibly selfish of her to be sad, but she couldn't help it. She had really looked forward to seeing him again, and even if she only had to wait a few more days, it still hurt that he wasn't here on this particular day.

_I apologise deeply, Hazel. I couldn't get the permission. I wish you a grand birthday, and I'll see you again soon. Please enjoy your special day, I'll be thinking of you._

Hazel wiped her eyes. How was she supposed to enjoy it? She couldn't even move out of her room. She was having seizures again, so Doctor Barton had ordered her to stay in bed.

She felt horrible. The fever wasn't as bad any more, but she had a constant headache, and her body was hurting as if she had lesions all over it. She wished that Doctor Tate was there to check up on her instead of Barton. She liked Tate better.

Just then, the door opened and Henrietta walked inside. She carried a tray with her. "How are you feeling, Hazel?" she said.

Hazel looked up at her with a blank expression to hide that she had been crying. "I'm fine, thank you."

Henrietta put down the tray on her bed stand. There was a cup of tea, a plate with a piece of cake, a spoon and a bottle filled with a red liquid on it. The bitter sweet smell of the liquid reached Hazel's nostrils and made them flare. Henrietta felt the young girl's forehead, "Your fever has diminished. How splendid."

Hazel nodded softly, eyeing the medicine bottle on the tray. It wasn't laudanum.

"Please eat, sweetheart," Henrietta said and handed her the plate.

"Thanks, Henrietta," Hazel mumbled and took a bite of the cake. It was delicious, but she wasn't hungry. She was going to throw it out when Henrietta left.

"I know that you are disappointed that Daniel couldn't be here. But you must understand how important it is that a young man get a proper education," Henrietta explained as she straightened one of Hazel's wild locks, "Daniel is going to be in need of it if he wants to do something with his future."

Hazel nodded, feeling even more selfish. She wanted Daniel to have a bright future, even if that meant that he was going to miss every single one of her birthdays. Henrietta tilted her head at the small girl. She poked her nose, "Now, don't be sad. It does not suit a young lady."

"Will I ever become a lady, Henrietta?" Hazel asked, looking up at the woman with glazed green eyes.

The madam eyed her with an appraising look, like she so often did. After a short while, she said, "Of course you will, darling." She stood up from the bed again and walked to the door to leave the room, leaving Hazel alone.

The girl looked out the window at the falling snow. Somewhere out there, Daniel was securing a future for himself, while Hazel was just sitting here, watching her future slowly melt away, like the snowflakes outside would once it would become summer again.

* * *

It felt like it had been an eternity since Daniel had seen Hazel – and when he finally saw her again, she looked even more awful than he had feared she would. She was bound to her bed, weak and her whole body sore. She had lost weight and the colour in her face had vanished. She looked close to a corpse.

It broke Daniel's heart. He knew that it was a bad idea to be sent away from her!

"Hello Daniel," Hazel said in an attempt to sound excited. She smiled and tried to sit up in her bed.

"Hazel, what has happened to you? You told me in the letters that it wasn't so serious!" Daniel exclaimed and sat down on the bedside. He caressed her cheek while studying her face.

Hazel put her hand over Daniel's, "Please, Daniel, not now. Give me a hug." Daniel sighed, biting his lip. He put his arms around her and pulled her into a warm embrace.

Returning home would turn out to be even worse than just staying at the school. Yes, he could look after Hazel now that he was back in the mansion, but he never really got the chance to spend time with her. He was constantly put to work; one would think that this wasn't a vacation at all!

But he managed to sneak into her room every evening before they had to sleep and tell her fairy tales, just like back in the old days. No matter how tired he was, he would always tell her a story. The look on Hazel's face was worth every day of frustration and exhaustion. He was so happy to see her again.

* * *

The mystery of where John had been all this time was finally solved when he dragged Daniel into town. "So what do you think?" he said, placing his hands on his hips proudly, "It's amazing, isn't it?"

Daniel eyed the large space. Everything was clean and organized and brand new. Work desks, modern instruments and a lot of new materials. Everything that John could have ever needed.

John had built himself a new studio on Castle Street in the town centre. It really was perfect. This was what he had needed in all those years. A new studio to fit his needs, placed in a convenient place where a lot of customers would pass by.

But one thing rankled Daniel, though.

"Come on, say something, son."

He looked up at his tall father. Daniel himself was starting to catch up. Hazel had been the first to point out how much he had grown – and not only in height, he also appeared to be much bigger when he embraced his petite younger sister. He was not so skinny any more.

John stroked his thick beard. It was not at all as dirty and messy as it used to be. It was groomed and washed and shaved perfectly into shape. John could have been mistaken for being part of the aristocracy.

But he wasn't. It was Henrietta who had the money.

Daniel eyed the new studio. "It's... It's fantastic."

"Yes, isn't it?" John said satisfied and clapped his hands together in triumph. He walked into the studio, showing Daniel all of their new gear. "Look, a completely new grinder! And the tools, so thin and precise, do you realise just how many beautiful sculptures we'll be able to make with these? We're going to make a lot of money, Daniel, I tell you!"

Daniel watched his father ramble on and on about how great everything was. The instruments, the space, the location, the possibilities...

The money. In the end, it seemed like it all just came down to money. And that was what finally made Daniel ask what had been troubling him, "But how did you pay for it?"

John stopped in his tracks and looked at Daniel. It took a short while before he said, "Your stepmother offered me the money. What kind of question is that?" He crossed his arms.

"It's just..." Daniel moistened his lips and looked around the large new studio, "I don't think it's such a good idea to rely on her fortune too much." The man stared at him. The tension was so thick that one could slice a knife through it. Daniel felt himself start to trip, "Father..."

Then suddenly, in three quick steps, John stood in front of him. The slap was so hard and sudden he fell to the ground. Daniel placed a hand on the left side of his face; it was burning. He had almost forgotten how it felt, the stinging pain of his father's large hand knocking him down. He bit his lip hard.

"**Why are you always so ungrateful?**" John bellowed, shoving Daniel further to the ground, "Why can't you ever just appreciate what I do for you and your good-for-nothing sister? You always question _everything!_ You should be happy that Henrietta is in our lives! You should be thankful for all that she has done for us! Stop acting like such a _**brat**__!_"

"I'm sorry!" Daniel whimpered, covering his face with his arms. He didn't want to meet the belt, not after all this time. He had finally gotten used to not fearing it. He couldn't cope with it again.

John took a deep breath, eyeing his grown son. The thin arms and legs had become longer and more muscular. The shoulders were broader and his voice had become deeper. "You're almost an adult now, Daniel," he growled, "You should learn to show some respect."

He grabbed Daniel's arm and pulled him up on his feet. Daniel rubbed his arms, still shivering a bit. He nodded, mumbling, "Yes, Father."

* * *

It definitely wasn't a vacation returning home again. John decided that Daniel should help out as much as possible in the new studio. Daniel wanted to stay home and look after Hazel, but of course Henrietta said that she would take care of her. Daniel nearly commented that she obviously didn't know how, since Hazel's condition had worsened so much. But he knew that he probably wouldn't be spared from the belt this time around if he said that out loud.

When he was finally allowed time to spend at home, Henrietta would be there breathing down his neck. She probably thought that he would break something or make a mess or something like that. Always was he kept an eye on. It was frustrating; he quickly remembered why he hadn't spent so much time at home back in the summer, so little by little he returned to his old habits of staying away from the mansion as much as possible. He felt bad about leaving Hazel alone in her bedroom, but at least he told her fairy tales every evening. He hoped that she could forgive him.

He wandered around the village he used to live in. Soon he walked past the grounds where his family's old house used to be; no one wanted to buy the shabby old shed, so it had been demolished instead. The grounds were still for sale.

Daniel sighed. His mother used to tell him fairy tales on that very spot. She had told him about Hazel, the morning star that had saved the world from eternal darkness. It seemed like a faint memory now.

He continued past the grounds and walked out of the village towards the Blean. He was a bit curious to see if Henry and his friends had occupied the clubhouse yet. Henry had picked a more remote location for the haunt, which made sense since he wanted it to be a secret. It still stood there, as nice and solid as when Daniel had finished it, though snow covered its roof now. He peeked inside the single window he had left in the rightmost wall. Confusion hit him immediately.

There was nothing there. No balls, no books, no toys, not anything. It was empty.

Daniel couldn't believe it. It had been six months since he finished it. He had spent nearly two years building that clubhouse, and Henry wasn't even using it. He bit his lip hard, his body shaking with sheer anger. That Henry...

That was when he heard the sound of snow crackling. He turned around, only to be face to face with the devil himself. "Ah Wilkinson," Henry's laughter dripped with mockery, "So you've decided to return?"

"What is this, Henry?" Daniel exclaimed, pointing at the clubhouse, "Why did I even build this?"

Henry approached Daniel, eyeing him with a look that should have warned the young boy, but he was too angry to notice. "Was it just so you could have an excuse to nag me? So that I could keep wasting my time and energy on some damned playhouse that you weren't even going to use? What is wrong with- ?"

Daniel stopped his rambling at once when Henry grabbed his collar. He spoke with a low voice, "Watch your mouth."

Daniel didn't get the chance to answer as he was immediately thrown onto the ground. Luckily the thick layer of snow softened his landing – but there was nothing to shield him from the kick he would receive in his stomach afterwards. All the air in his lungs was knocked out of him. For a second all sound around him diminished and he only heard his own pulse pounding, faster and faster. Daniel gasped for air, the memories of his childhood hitting him like a hammer.

Henry wasn't done. He grabbed the lean boy and lifted him up again. "Do you think I'm just playing around, Daniel? Do you think that this is all just for our amusement?"

Daniel still struggled to breathe. That kick had had a great impact, and Henry tightening the collar around his throat didn't help. He grabbed Henry's wrist, but of course that made no difference either. "I've been waiting for you, Wilkinson," Henry said through clenched teeth, "I've waited six long months for you to show your disgusting face here again. Perhaps you thought that you were too good for the old village, huh?"

Daniel shook his head vigorously. He managed to stammer out a few words, "N-no … Henry, please..." Henry punched him in the stomach. His eyes widened as the small amount of air he had regained left his lungs again.

"I'm amazed at your courage!" Henry roared, his eyes blinded by something resembling madness, "To think that you actually dared come back!"

His fist met the side of Daniel's face with an audible clash. Daniel's vision blurred. The world around him seemed to vanish in segments of red, blue and black. All he could feel was the stinging pain, a strong taste of iron lingering in his mouth.

Henry had definitely become stronger. He kept punching Daniel multiple times all over his body, not caring if he might break his bones in the process. "You sure have some guts for a coward! Just running away to some high class school, moving away from the village into a high class mansion, just leaving everyone else behind who actually deserves what you got _**more than **__**you**__!_"

Daniel was thrown onto the ground again. It did not take long before a small pool of red formed underneath him in the white snow. He couldn't tell where it came from, all of his body felt numb from pain.

His former classmate did not care. As Daniel tried to crawl away, he was merely kicked onto the ground again, struck in the ribs this time. "You – ungrateful – _bastard!_" Henry yelled between each and every kick he served the younger boy, "You – don't – deserve -!"

"Did she hurt you again, Henry ...?"

It was nothing more than a soft murmur, but Henry heard it clearly. He stopped in his tracks, breathing heavily as he stared at the bruised figure lying in the snow.

Daniel didn't look up at Henry. He stared out between the trees at nothing, his whole body shivering. He felt metallic tasting liquid drip down his chin, but he didn't make an effort to wipe it away.

"What did you say?"

The silence in the forest was deafening.

He coughed a bit before continuing with a hoarse voice, "It was your mother again... Wasn't it?" He closed his eyes and prepared himself for what was to come.

But it didn't come. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Daniel opened his eyes again and looked up at Henry. The tall blonde boy was shaking violently. He bit his bottom lip hard. Daniel felt his whole body turn cold when he noticed the tears streaming down his face.

Henry finally snapped, "YOU KNOW _**NOTHING**__!_" Daniel received a last aggressive kick that he could feel all the way into his core. Then Henry turned around and ran away, leaving the beaten boy to bleed in the snow.

* * *

There was a lot of noise downstairs. Henrietta and John's guests had showed up. Voices could be heard all the way up through the closed door to Hazel's bedroom.

Daniel flinched by the sting. Hazel drew the cotton pad back, frowning. "Keep still, Danny, else I'll never get you cleaned up."

The boy was currently not wearing anything else but his trousers. His whole body was bruised after the meeting with Henry; the bleeding had stopped the previous day, but the wounds still needed to be cleaned up a bit. Henrietta could not have Daniel attend the Christmas dinner looking like a beaten dog who had just returned home from a fight in the alley.

Daniel let out a sarcastic chuckle. "It's all right, Hazel. I don't really feel like joining the dinner anyway…"

Hazel gave him a stern look and crossed her arms, "Don't be like that, Daniel! You should enjoy the dinner for the both of us!" He looked at his little sister with a small grin, unable to take that grave look on her face seriously. She pouted and slapped his arm, "Don't laugh at me!"

"I'm sorry, Hazel," Daniel said as he stifled his laughter, "It's just... There's no reason for me to even be there. I don't know anyone, and I don't want you to just lie here all alone on Christmas Eve…" He moved his gaze to Hazel's duvet, his smile fading.

The small girl smiled gently and reached for a new cotton pad, "Don't worry about me, Daniel. I'll be fine."

"But you're not fine," Daniel pressed on, his eyes filled with concern, "You're so weak that you can't even attend the dinner with everyone else!"

Hazel avoided his gaze as she wetted the cotton pad with alcohol, "If I attend the dinner, I won't ever be fine..."

Daniel bit his lip as she started cleaning the wound on his temple again. It stung incredibly. The siblings kept silent while Hazel dabbed the cotton pad on it. When she finally drew back and reached for the cloth in the bowl of hot water, Daniel said, "I don't think that you'll ever be fine if you stay in here."

Hazel looked at Daniel. "Then why did you keep me locked up for so many years?" she said quietly.

Daniel didn't answer. He looked blankly at his younger sister, feeling nothing but a pain that didn't originate from one of the many gashes on his body.

Her bottom lip started to quiver. "Daniel..." she whispered, but she was interrupted.

The bedroom door opened. John looked at his two children, a hand placed on his hip. "Daniel, haven't you even changed yet? Get some clothes on, the dinner starts now!"

Daniel hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and stood up from Hazel's bed. "I'm sorry, Father. I'll get dressed now." He looked back at Hazel one last time. Hazel did her best to bite the tears back as he turned around and left the room without a word.

* * *

Daniel didn't want to stay at home at all. It was unbearable to be there. Everywhere he went in the mansion, there would be nothing but scolding, reprimanding or questioning, and he couldn't even look Hazel in the eyes any more. Luckily he had something else to focus his energy on.

He had picked a location even more solitary than Henry's haunt. It was placed far back into the Blean woods, almost out where Canterbury ended and Faversham started. It would take a while to walk there, but at least no one would find it.

He put the toolbox and the wooden boards down and looked around at the place. It was a small clearing, but it was large enough. He might even be able to make it bigger than the first one he had built.

Daniel sighed and picked one of the wooden boards. He checked his blueprint before measuring the board. Then he picked the saw and started to cut the wood.

He spent the rest of his Christmas vacation out in the Blean, getting started on his project for Serena.


End file.
